Fighting the Fall
by Rakusa
Summary: When Mamoru leaves for America, Usagi meets someone who has her questioning everything she thought she knew. But her heart still longs for the one not there, right?
1. Chapter 1

Fighting The Fall

Sum: Mamoru has to leave for America and Usagi has an unbelievable run-in with an superstar. What happens next?

June 7, 2010

AN: This was inspired about a year ago by the song I won't say I'm in love, you know the Hercules song by Meg/Neg, and there was a fan vid. I never did anything with the idea that popped into my head, and rereading the comment I left because someone left me one in return just now and I have come up with a whole new idea, though the basic thought is still there.

* * *

Chapter 1

Usagi swirled around her tea, not listening to the three boy-struck girls across from her, and even when Ami pitched in her opinion, Usagi couldn't be roused from her thoughts. So when the girls asked her for her opinion, she had no answer to give, she hadn't been up on the latest celebrity gossip this year, there had been too much going on for her to focus on that.

She glanced up at her four concerned senshi and mumbled something about Mamoru going to New York. They started questioning her on it, and she gave them the answers they wanted and then she lapsed back into silence, thinking back into her memory for her own answers.

Mamoru and her stood on a bridge, he had asked her for a walk, and she loved to spend time with him so she didn't think anything of it. She didn't think anything of it and when he stopped her in the middle of the secluded bridge, she had hoped it was for a romantic moment, timed perfectly. However she should have known better, at least he wasn't breaking up with her this time. He took her hand into his and looked down at her with dark blue eyes that looked excited and nervous at the same time, and Usagi knew somehow that she shouldn't get her hopes up, this wasn't going to go well for her.

"Usako I have some news. Remember that thesis I was working on?" How could she forget? It had been one of the excuses he'd pulled on her many times when he broke up with her two years ago and it had been something he claimed many times since when he couldn't follow through with a date. Instead of saying something she might regret, she nodded, wondering where this was heading now. "Well it got sent to a school in America and they want me to come out for a year. I wouldn't be able to come back until I completed my schooling, is that ok?"

He was asking her for her permission, it was a major difference from before, but he also asked it after the fact and didn't talk to her about it before his decision was already made, when he was first thinking about leaving her for an entire year, to get away from her and do what he wanted to without being interrupted. He looked like he was waiting for her to object but also hopeful that she would let him go without a fight. Because he was going, whether she liked it or not, she realized with sudden clarity. "Go on Mamo-chan, why shouldn't you go to America?" She put as much enthusiasm into her voice as she could muster and she hoped it was enough. It must have been, because he continued like she hadn't said anything at all. Inside she felt her heart breaking all over again and each time it felt smaller and smaller.

"It'll be great, I get to work with all of these different professors, it's the opportunity of a life time." And because it was important to him, she listened and partook in the conversation though she really wasn't interested. All she wanted to do was flee and go home to cry into her pillow. However she was denied even that small joy as she had to come meet the girls. So while he talked, she turned towards the water and looked down at her solo reflection.

That was all she was these days, by herself. Chibi-Usa left and went back to the future, and now Mamoru was leaving her too that the daughter he loved so deeply wasn't there to keep him tied to Usagi. Chibi-Usa's absence on top of Mamoru's was like a sever to one of Usagi's assurances, that she was the product of Mamoru and her love. Mamoru's shadow joined her reflection but he wasn't quite visible, just like he wasn't quite there with her now. He surfaced from his own personal ecstasy to ask her something and she perkily replied, and he continued on.

He obligatorily walked her home and kissed her on the cheek once they got to her outer gate. He watched her head in and once she disappeared behind her front door, she watched him leave.

Even going back into her memories, she didn't find any answers in there, only more questions, and more fears. At the time she hadn't been so critical, just felt like her world was crashing in on her and with another assurance to her friends; she left the café to head home.

Usagi sat at her window, the picture of her family in her hands. Not the one that raised her, but the one she would someday have for thousands of years. IF letting Mamoru go wasn't a mistake that would forever change that future. She stared down at that happy memory and felt herself falling back into other memories, happy ones between her and Mamoru or the three of them together. Usagi hugged the photograph to her chest and stared out the window at the stars shining above them. She might have fallen asleep because the next thing she knew, Luna was calling her name and asking her if she was all right.

Moving away from the window Usagi plopped down onto her bed and looked up at her poster strewn ceiling, some things hadn't changed, no matter how much motivation she had to take them down, she never managed it. "Are you really all right?" Luna pressed, jumping onto the bed and lying next to Usagi's head.

It took her a long moment before she answered, and answered truthfully. "I am happy for his opportunity, it's what he wants and I am glad for it. But I don't want him to leave, I'll be very lonely and sad. All I want to do is tell him NO! Don't go!" She was half way between anger and tears. "But that won't do any good. He'll still go and he might hate me for trying to stop him." Usagi pressed a sleeve against her burning eyes.

She felt a cold nose press against her cheek. Usagi's eyes peeked out from beneath her arm and slid over to Luna, expectantly. If cats had features that could show what they were thinking, Luna's would have been twisted in reluctant practicality. "You've matured so much from the girl I once met a long time ago. I almost believe you to be stronger and wiser than the princess who wouldn't give up her love and sent us all to this future. You are able to let him go, assured that he will come back to you, and knowing if you don't let him go, he maybe wouldn't. But tomorrow you have to send him off with a smile, so he knows just how strong you are." Luna nudged her again when Usagi's eyes widened at the idea and then a grin spread across the young blond's face. She liked Luna's idea.

* * *

Seiya glanced through the crowds gathered around him and his brothers and in the distance he saw a blond and a dark haired man standing by the windows of a flight getting ready to depart. The man leaned down and blocked the blond out of his view so they could share a kiss, even though they were in a crowd the man was still protecting her honor. It was something that Seiya wanted, not necessarily that girl, but that kind of relationship, both of them going onto a trip together. Even though there were thousands of girls throwing themselves at him and his brothers, he didn't want the easy ones. He wanted one that was interested in him and not his status. Yaten jabbed an elbow into his back and he turned just in time to be blinded by a flash of light from a camera and to be deafened by a massive squeal.

Meanwhile Usagi couldn't help but cry. "I was going to see you off with a smile. Stupid tears." She rubbed at them as Mamoru placed his hands on her shoulders.

"It's all right. I didn't think you were going to come, with school and all."

"I couldn't just sit in class while you boarded a plane on your own with nobody to say goodbye." She argued and Mamoru chuckled.

"I am glad you came Usako. I have something for you." He pulled out of his breast pocket a small black jewelry box and handed it to her.

She opened it almost fearfully, wondering what he could possibly give her and her breath caught. "This is-" an engagement ring? She almost didn't want to believe it, she had to be mistaken.

"Yes." He took the ring out of the box and placed it on her left ring finger and she had trouble breathing as it looked perfect there, the heart surrounded by diamonds. "I love you Usako." She didn't say anything and he leaned down for a kiss, her eyes had said enough.

The flight was calling for last boarding and Mamoru pulled back. "I won't be able to call or write for a little while, it'll be really busy."

"That's all right. I will write you every day." Usagi countered and latched onto his arm. "Now come on, you don't want to miss your flight."

A commotion down the airport caught their attention and at first Usagi's heart began to race, that kind of noise usually led to one thing, but it was cheering and screaming of excitement, not fear. "What do you think it is?" Usagi asked trying to get a better look, but it was only a sea of colors, and nothing telling.

"Probably some type of celebrity." Mamoru looked down to her. "Now let's go?"

Usagi nodded and her path with Mamoru intercepted the irritated Seiya's and the two brushed shoulders as they walked. Usagi looked behind her at who she had run into just as Seiya did the same, their eyes locked before the connection was broken by outside forces and Usagi showed Mamoru to the gate, where they shared one last kiss before he took off for a year. Seiya was ushered outside with his brothers by the security guards and into their limo.

Usagi wandered outside to the buildings near by and watched as his plane took off into the sky. "Be careful Mamo-chan." Usagi looked down at the railing she was leaning against and saw the engagement ring on her finger. She began wondering what he was going to do with the ring if she ended up going to class, but maybe he had hoped she would come, and he had been kept it on him in case that happened. Or he had never meant to give it to her, only kept it in case he needed to pacify her or was planning to give it to someone else in America. Why wouldn't he give it to her between announcing his trip and leaving? Although to be fair, it had only been a week and that was a little mean on his part, or very smart, given she couldn't freak about it for six months then, and get the pain over quickly, or at least part of it. Now at least it was only a year and not a year and a half of worry.

Usagi watched as the plane left Tokyo and disappeared into the sky and continued to watch for a while longer and then she figured it was probably somewhere over the Pacific. She pushed away and headed back to school. She had her mother write her a note, saying she had an appointment and that's why she was late. Her mother was a sucker for romance, no doubt Ikuko was hoping that Usagi was able to convince Mamoru to stay and possibly get an offer of marriage in return. Usagi rolled her eyes; well she kind of got half of that, if that was really what it was. He never actually asked for her hand in marriage and they had never talked about it. It was a little rude of him to assume just because they were married in the future meant that he didn't have to ask her now. Especially with their history or at least because of it.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Usagi got one letter from Mamoru, one in an entire month and she'd sent him thirty. The letter he'd sent her talked only of himself and how he was doing and how wonderful New York was. There was not even a throwaway line asking her about how she was.

Yet despite that, Usagi reread it a hundred times the first day she got it and many times more after that. September was just around the corner and school would start up just after the month changed. Mamoru's school started mid-August and so he was well underway of his classes and with that, like he was here, he would have less and less time for her. So that one letter a month, if it was anything to go by would become one every two or three. He liked to do things well, even though he neglected asking about her, his letter was impeccable in spelling and grammar and syntax. Even the way he broached each paragraph was perfection. He didn't even manage to tell her he loved her.

But looking back at her ring as she flipped the page over, she knew how much he loved her and he had told her so that day he left. Usagi held up her hand and looked at it, flipping onto her back and sighed dreamily.

Luna growled at Usagi as the girl had plopped down and disrupted her sleep when the bed shifted with her weight. "Would you stop looking at that confounded thing?"

"I'm sorry Luna, but besides the photo and the letter it's all I really have left of him from this last year."

"You should have taken more photos." Luna grumbled. She had wanted Usagi to share her ring with the other senshi, but she kept taking it off before she went outside the house, even that first day she had reluctantly taken it off so she could attend class. She always took it out of her pocket to put it back on when she was alone. Her family didn't even know about it. Her mother would have cheered and danced around in a circle and made all sorts of plans for a wedding that may never exist. Kenji would throttle Mamoru the moment he stepped off the plane if he didn't go to America first to do it.

Her communicator went off and she almost freaked that they had a new enemy and Mamoru wasn't around. She pulled it to her and opened the communicator to see Ami's face there. "It's a left over from the last enemy."

Usagi agreed to the location and she transformed instantly and ran to the site. It was fairly easy to take care of after their most recent transformation upgrade. "Come on Usa-chan! You have to join us at the café! We have so much to talk about!" Minako dropped an arm around Usagi's shoulders and she agreed happily.

At the café they talked about many things, a lot of which had happened during the day, Usagi had worked with her mother around the house to make it nice and clean for their company who would be visiting until school started up again. Usagi reached for her glass with her left hand and the entire table instantly turned quiet. "What is that on your hand?" Rei went to grab for it but Usagi pulled it back and under the table. "Is that-"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know? You're a girl, you should know exactly what this is." Rei argued.

"It's on your left ring finger." Makoto continued for Rei and snagged her hand underneath the table to show the rest of the group.

"I know." Luna said smugly.

"Even Luna knows and she's a cat." Ami mentioned casually.

"I am a girl too you know." Luna sounded offended.

Usagi shook her head and tore her hand away from the five females looking over her hand with intense scrutiny. They oohed and awed over it. "For all I know it could be a promise ring. Really it could be anything, we didn't talk about it and he didn't tell me what it was, he never even asked, he just put it on my finger."

"He didn't think words were needed, that they were just over the top. He thought you would understand it, that you two are to be wed and that he loves you. It's just so romantic."

Romantic! Ha! He was more romantic with her when they hated each other, and always argued. Where did his romantic side go? He was always layering her with roses as Kamen back then and other unexpected gifts as Mamoru back then.

While the girls sighed dramatically over the image they had in their heads of her life, one that they were only spectators to, and not center actors, which was strange in normal friendships, but not in theirs, Usagi turned to look out the window, not imagining this future with them. She had no interest at the moment to be center stage of that fantasy, not when the groom was across the globe for the next year, it would be too painful to go down that path. Her eyes caught hundreds of girls and even some guys, either pulled along or tagging with willingly run down the street. They looked too happy to be fearful and the hurry was _to_ something not from it. "I wonder what that is."

Minako's eyes widened in realization and she grabbed Usagi's watch, which for her convenience and reminder had not only the time on it, but also the date and a timer if she remembered to set it. "Shoot! I totally forgot today was Thursday the 21st!" Minako picked up her purse and looked to the other girls. "Remember that crowd that's supposed to be gathering in the fountain plaza…?"

Makoto jumped to her feet as she too understood what they were missing out on. The four girls ushered Usagi out with them, completely forgetting what they were just thinking about, much to Usagi's relief and pulled her to the plaza. Luna followed them, but not as excited as the rest were. Usagi probably should have listened to them last month instead of tuning them out, it probably would have answered all the questions now racing through her head of what was so important about this gathering.

"What is it?" Usagi panted as she tried to keep up with the girls, they were never that fast before.

"Ah man, we're late!" Minako complained. "It's a drama set up for the three lights. They've been in Japan for the last month but they're finally settling down in Tokyo. I hear they're going to school somewhere in the city, it's undisclosed as of yet of where."

"Is that Z-Files of Detective Boy Holmes?" Makoto asked.

"Ooh, I love it!" Rei squealed.

"Wait, let me get this straight, they're giving the three lights a TV drama? And filming it here, while they go to school here too? Who are they anyway?" Usagi felt so out of the loop and usually she was one of the first to know about any new celebrity sighting or news, Minako beating her out only because of her connections and Umino usually had the drop on her too. Usagi pouted, maybe she didn't know everything first, but she did generally know everything. Man she must have been out of it this summer if she was missing something as important as a new show being filmed in Tokyo. Even Ami knew the statistics for the show.

"Alice Itsuki is costarring the show."

"Really? I love her!" Usagi tried to see around the crowd. The girl was very popular and even though Usagi didn't know much about these lights, the other girls had no problem in pointing out both Yaten and Taiki who were reviewing their script.

"Let's get closer!" The other girls managed to push their way through the crowd but Usagi and Luna had no luck, well Luna might have been able to, but she preferred not to leave Usagi by herself.

Usagi crossed her arms with a dramatic sigh. She wanted to see Alice up close too! She wandered around looking for a way in so she could touch or talk to the stars if they turned their attention to the watchers. "No way in." She continued walking until she almost ran into a sign saying no admittance. "Hmm… If I could find a way to sneak in there, I would have front row seat." Usagi slowly crept towards the gated area.

"You would have better luck acting assured of your position, then people wouldn't bother to stop you. As it is, there's no way in through there." A slightly feminine male voice stated and Usagi jumped a mile high and whipped her head around, looking for the person to speak and not finding anyone until he sat up from his lying position on the park bench.

"I'm so sorry! I only wanted to see Alice and-"

"You… You're the one-" He shook his head. "I guess you don't remember."

"What? Have we met somewhere before?" Usagi scratched the back of her neck, she had been caught but he didn't seem very angry, maybe he was just warning her of the perils that he faced trying to get in himself.

"You don't know who I am?" Usagi shook her head and he seemed put out for a moment. "I guess I'm not as popular as I thought."

This sounded too much like a pick up line and Usagi called him on it. "Is this a new method you're trying out to pick up girls? Well it's not working." Man he was weird.

"You're funny." He vaulted over the bench so he was right next to her as he said this before heading off towards the gated area. "Remember, next time try to be a little more assured this is where you belong."

"Wait! I thought you just said there was no admittance this way except on business!" Usagi yelled after him.

He waved without turning around, his whole attitude, if not his words was a little arrogant and rude. "I am here on business, unlike you. See you around Odango!"

"Jerk!" Usagi turned away, tomorrow they were still filming on site and she'd remember to bring her Luna pen, she'd show him that she could get anywhere she wanted, and had the confidence to do so. And the nerve of him, calling her Odango! The only people who ever called her Odango got it from Mamoru, who was the only one to ever think of calling her that. It annoyed her when he did it, and it annoyed her now that someone else was using his pet name on her. Her nose wrinkled at the thought, as if anyone could ever take his place in anything.

Usagi still in a foul mood joined up with the other girls who were back on the side of the crowd she'd been waylaid on. They looked discouraged too. "We couldn't get close enough. We think we'll come back tomorrow to try and get front row spots before the crowd gathers."

Usagi nodded. "Count me in." And her eyes held a mischievous glimmer in them that the girls hadn't seen for a year or so and smartly didn't comment on her decision.

The next day dawned bright and early and Usagi snagged the Luna pen from her dresser before Luna woke so she wouldn't get nagged at for having it. Usagi met the girls at the plaza and while they stationed out spots, they even brought blankets and pillows and sat right next to the spots they would later stand in, they also whipped out books. Usagi saw all of the trailers already there and police escorts to ensure the safety of the crowd and actors. Meaning that the actors were already there for the day, just getting ready before their shoot. Usagi wandered off with a word of getting some ice cream and disappeared around the bend. Luna followed her, wanting some herself and having an inkling that Usagi was going back to the spot she had a run-in with the boy the other day.

Luna knew Usagi was just brash enough to try another confrontation and to prove him wrong, however Luna didn't realize Usagi planned on breeching this not as herself but as a crew member. "Luna pen, make me into a camerawoman." Lights flared and then disappated and in her place was a flannel shirt tied at the waist, a blue hat tipped sideways over her long greasy hair that made it impossible to tell if it was brown or blond and blue jeans.

"You're not supposed to be here." Luna hissed, jumping onto Usagi's shoulder. "You will be scolded once you're found out."

"Correction Luna, Usagi's not supposed to be here, I blend in perfectly. For I am supposed to be here." Luna kept warning her, but Usagi didn't pay any attention. "Which way should I go? I guess better check out this way first."

Meanwhile the girls began to wonder where their leader had run off to. "It doesn't take her this long usually to get sweets." Makoto picked her head up and looked around, but there wasn't any sign of the blond.

"Maybe there was a long line. I mean we can't be the only ones coming out to see day two of this production." Rei tried to sound unconcerned. "Knowing her, she probably just got lost. This will start any minute now, let her find her way back."

The others reluctantly agreed when Ami suggested going to look for her if she wasn't back in ten minutes, or at least calling her. She had seemed slightly depressed until yesterday ever since the week Mamoru announced his travel plans. Yesterday had been a change of attitude, but they began to wonder if it wasn't to placate them.

Usagi stumbled upon the set, she could see the girls in the distance and through the fence and she knew, looking at the empty setting that the actors were probably in a different direction so she turned around to go look for Alice.

While she wandered another girl had entered the set uninvited, this time with curly locks and a striped outfit with a matching hat and big black sunglasses hiding her eyes. Alice had just come out of her trailer made-up and ready to start filming, the rest of the crew was eating at a different trailer and shooting the breeze, their make-up took less time than the women's did. Alice was giving herself a pep talk to get her through the day's events when the other girl drew Alice's attention to her. "What a pretty smile, surely one of a star."

"Hey kid, thanks." Alice smiled towards her. "But if you want an autograph you'll have to wait just like everyone else, it's a busy day."

"It's not your signature I want." The white hair youthful teen countered. "But the seed in you, the seed of a star, your star seed!" She whipped off her clothing and the sailor uniform remained and Alice backed out of the alley of cars fearful. "Give it to me!" Usagi saw the interaction and hid behind a truck, trying to see what was going on. They were after all on a TV set, anything could happen. The girl put her arms up and energy shot out of both towards Alice and engulfed her in an almost golden light if it wasn't so orange. A diamond came out of her and sat on her forehead. "What a pretty star."

Luna nudged Usagi with her nose. "Not a set up, a real threat. Transform Usagi!"

Usagi agreed already thinking the same thing. "Moon eternal make-up!"

While she was transforming the star seed turned black, like a diamond in reversal. "Yuck, I don't want such a weak star." The girl was interrupted from doing anything else with Moon's arrival and annoyance at attacking the idol Itsuki Alice. "Hmm… another sailor senshi? Well you're nowhere near as beautiful as I am, so you can't be a star. I am Sailor Iron Mouse!"

"A Sailor Senshi?" Moon demanded. "What-"

"Well I'm done here, have fun with my phage. That's what happens when your seed turns black. Bye-bye now!" She disappeared in a telephone booth and Moon grumbled about how the enemy always disappeared if they were anything more than a simple creature.

Moon didn't have much time to worry about it though as Alice transformed into "Sailor Pretty!" Even though she was used to it, Moon was still surprised when a human was transformed into something they were not supposed to be, like this star Alice, into a want-to-be sailor senshi. "Want to sing?" Sailor Pretty/Alice attacked her with her microphone.

"Really? You're an actress, not a singer!" Moon shouted out towards the phage as Luna shouted at her to fight her. "I can't, it's originally Alice, a human. I can't hurt her." It was like the rainbow crystal carriers all over again, except this time she didn't know if healing activation would work like that on Alice.

She was saved from having to make any immediate decisions with the arrival of three more new senshi. They introduced themselves on a beat as they snapped their fingers. "What rhymes with pretentious?" Luna asked into Moon's ear and Moon agreed with her as they waited for introductions to be over with.

The three attacked Sailor Pretty and when they attempted to again, Moon knew that they were going to kill her. Moon jumped in their way. "Wait! You can't kill her, she's Alice! There has to be a way to save her!"

"There isn't any, once they become phage, there is no turning back. The only way to make sure they don't hurt anyone is to kill them." Healer argued and Moon refused to budge.

"There has to be a way."

"There was one, but it isn't around anymore, so move out of the way!" Fighter ordered.

"NO!" Moon was bathed in silver light and she turned towards the new creature, her scepter out at the ready. "I have to try!" The others were floored by the show of magic and she turned away from them. "Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!"

"Beautiful!" The phage screamed, turning back into Alice and her star seed regained the energy it burnt out outside of her body. When Moon turned back towards the Starlights, they were gone, but they weren't far, she knew it, just as she knew when they left for good.

"Who are you?" She asked to herself as she walked. Luna was on her shoulder wondering the same things. "The one that attacked Alice was a Senshi, as was the ones that helped me, but were they helping me or just trying to destroy the phage? They left so suddenly, but that isn't anything new is it? All new senshi arrivals seem to leave instantly and I have to fight to show them that I'm on their side and they can trust me. It's kind of annoying."

"Would you go up to someone and introduce yourself right away?" Luna questioned and sighed. "Of course you would and they'd probably trust _you_ instantly. But the others wouldn't trust them if they did the same thing. Then again, if the enemy was smart they'd build trust with us like that too." Luna shook her head and the fur brushed Usagi's ear as she sat down in the bench she'd seen the boy in not too long ago so she could think. "I don't know what the right answer is Usa-chan or why people do what they do. Maybe they just don't want to get entangled with us. Maybe, hopefully, they're just passing through and take their troubles with them."

Usagi hoped so too, she didn't really want another enemy. However she knew that was never the case, even when they were just passing through and didn't want to bother the senshi of earth with their problems. It just never worked out in her favor that way.

The other senshi with their plans to go find Usagi had disappeared when the filming started and when she still didn't join them at the wrap up, they figured she went home, forgetting to tell them. So when they found her sitting at a bench, with her knees pulled up to her chest and Luna sitting on her head as she stared listlessly out into the beyond, they felt like something was up. "Where have you been? They stopped filming." Makoto dropped down onto the bench next to Usagi and took Luna off of her head.

"Well… something happened." They leaned forward, trying to get more. "I'm not sure what it was, but it was something. It had to do more so with a new enemy. I'm still trying to figure it out."

"I think you need to start at the beginning." Rei suggested, brushing the bangs out of Usagi's eyes so she could follow the story better and so at the beginning she did, or at least from this morning's escapades.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A week went quickly, Usagi's memories would dig up old memories of Mamoru and sometimes even Endymion to torture her with the fact that she wasn't currently with him. She'd gotten a brief phone call the day after the attack on Alice, but it was only to reassure him that she was still alive and that she had handled it beautifully, on her own, without a scratch on her. She didn't mention that the starlights had helped her out, it would have only fed his concern and he was too far away to do anything about it, and besides, more help was always appreciated, right? Even if they did want to kill the human beneath the creation. She also left out the boy who'd called her Odango, though it would have either made him laugh or irritated him, Usagi decided it was best to let him have as smooth sailing as possible in America. Her irrational fears could be put aside once he came home to tell her everything himself or in his next letter if he so decided on one.

How was she to know what he was planning next or what was to come of that decision? Perhaps it would have been all around better if she'd made him stay with her instead of letting him run off to pursue his dream. What-ifs never led anywhere, and if they did, it was nowhere good. So Usagi pushed those types of thoughts out of her head and joined the girls outside of the school so they could go over their schedules together. They were posted just inside under their last names and there was a copy for them to take.

Minako quickly perused Usagi's schedule and squealed when they had drama class together. "I don't even remember signing up for this." Usagi complained as she looked through her list. She shared one class with each of the girls and had many periods without them. Except for Ami, the classes she shared with the others were all fun classes, meaning she could have fun with them in those classes but had to suffer the bad ones without them. It was going to be a long semester if it kept to the way it looked on her schedule. At least their lunch period was all together.

Makoto gasped as she looked again at her name and Minako quickly pushed her way in, to scream loudly. Usagi tried to peak over the crowed gathering at Minako's exclamation to see what the matter was, but her head was pushed down from behind. "Excuse me Odango, you're blocking the board." The dark haired boy from the other day with the dark blue eyes peered over her shoulder, though he was clearly taller than she was. "That's it, thank you." He snatched up three papers from within the crowd and turned to the other two boys, completely ignoring Usagi and the other girls. He handed the papers over and Usagi realized that the other two were at the set the other day and were part of the three lights. Looking at them all now at a close range, Usagi had a sinking suspicion that the third one was none other than the jerk of a boy in front of her.

"Is this yours?" He snatched hers out of her hands and nodded. "Ah good, seems we have some classes together. Quite a few actually." He flashed her a white tooth smile as the rest of the girls seemed to realize that the boys they were arguing over and were excited to join their ranks were already standing there with them.

"They just transferred here." Minako explained to Usagi, as if she didn't already figure that out, with the three just standing there. She then realized she never got her paper back from the boy before they were surrounded by screaming high schoolers. "Isn't that Seiya just fab?" Minako sighed and Makoto nodded her head in agreement.

"He's an arrogant snob."

"Usa-chan, come on, he's Kou Seiya!" Minako objected. "How can you say that about him?"

"He's been nothing but rude to me since I ran into him."

"Well he's a celebrity, he doesn't have time for immature girls. But I'm going to make one of them my boyfriend, wait and see, it's the coolest thing ever if you can claim that."

Usagi lifted a brow, insulted in being called immature and had the perfect place to return the favor. "You sure you can do such a thing? I thought they didn't have time for immature girls?" She wouldn't tell them she'd met the boy a couple of times now unless they insisted to know the whole story, because they'd just assume things until then. Usagi walked away from her friends, this class she didn't have anyone in it. Except that wasn't true as Naru came in behind her and sat down next to her with a small smile in her direction. Naru probably didn't have any other friends in this class as well. Usagi was glad though that she chose to sit and talk with her at least. Their friendship had been indescribable since Usagi had joined the ranks of senshi and she felt bad at times for neglecting this friendship.

Usagi talked with Naru until the teacher started lecturing and then Usagi pulled out a piece of paper to begin her next letter to Mamoru. One a day was getting a little difficult, especially with her leaving parts of it out. So she used Minako as a cover with her desire to date a star who now belonged to their school.

The doors opened a few minutes into the period and Seiya walked in, pushing his hair back and finding an empty spot somewhere behind her. "I don't care if you are a celebrity, you do not get to continue doing this every day. I will be treating you just like any other student, do you understand?" The teacher scolded the newcomer and Usagi was pleased.

"Of course, I wouldn't want you to treat me any other way. That is why we came here, to be treated as equals."

The teacher seemed off-guard by such an admission and allowed Seiya to continue on. Usagi's scowled at the change of pace and sent a glare over her shoulder at the boy who sent her a gloating look back.

Usagi turned back around and continued writing. Her letters were a mix of Kanji and the lesser form, and though she had needed it to get in, she'd managed to manipulate it enough to get by, but there were still many letters she didn't remember how to do or what they stood for, so tried to expand on what she did know.

A crumpled up ball hit her on the back of her head and she reached down to pick it up. She perked up maybe a bit too much, this would surely get him into trouble. She spread it out onto her desk to make sure it wasn't anything too bad and

There was a picture of the teacher and his words were 'blah blah blah' markings. Usagi tried to stuff it into her binder, she knew this would get her into trouble but the teacher caught sight of it and grabbed it. "Tsukino-san, I am disappointed in you. It is only the first day of class and already you are showing signs of disrespect."

"With all due respect sir, I didn't draw that."

"No, you were just the recipient. Kou-san, you will report to detention with Tsukino-san this afternoon."

Usagi groaned and dropped her head onto the desk. This day was just looking better and better. First the jerk was at her school, then he was in a few of her classes, and in the first one he got her into trouble. Oh yes, it was just looking up for her.

Usagi wondered how the other girls were getting on in their first class... Minako was bound to have scarred everyone by now, either by her poor grades or tenacious attitude. Makoto either scared everyone or impressed them. Ami no doubt was being begged to do whatever she could to help some of the lesser academic standing students. Rei was at her all girls' school, where she'd been the last several years and didn't even need to take an entrance exam to get into high school.

"Gomen." Seiya apologized, catching up to her as she tried to lose him outside the doors. It was nearly impossible to do so with all the crowds gathering round them, but he managed to do so, the fink. Usagi looked away, looking for her escape and missed Seiya moving in front of her and running into him. He caught her. "Gomen." He apologized again. "It hadn't been my intention to get you into trouble. Let me see if I can smooth this out and get you out. I'll even take two on my own. Although, if I do manage to get us out, I do expect you to spend that time with me and show me around."

"Eh..." Usagi's face twisted, it would be nice not to have to sit through detention, but she didn't want to spend any time with him, especially because she probably wouldn't have gotten there today if it hadn't been for him. Then again, who knew for sure if that would have actually happened.

"Then again, I could use some time in the detention hall with you."

"I'd show you around." Usagi hastily put in, it'd be easier to lose him in the streets than sitting right next to her, probably getting her into more trouble. "But I couldn't today, I have plans."

"It's ok, you can make it up to me the day you don't have plans." Seiya cheekily replied.

"I wouldn't hold your breath, you wouldn't last that long." Usagi saw a gap in the crowd of menacing glares at her general persona and bolted for it. She slowed to a halt when she knew he was caught. She spotted Minako and joined her. "Can you believe it?" Usagi grumbled. "Just because they're celebrities."

Minako was sighing dreamily. "Yaten was in my class. Maybe tomorrow he'll sit with me."

Usagi gave up, it was no hope with her friend, maybe she'd have better luck with Makoto or Ami, they were more levelheaded. Rei too, but she wasn't here. "Yeah yeah, now come on, I think we have class together."

Just her luck, Seiya was in it as well, but he left her alone this time, it was too much of an open class and the girls were all just dangling off his every word and move and he couldn't get close enough to irritate her. Unfortunately Minako was one of those girls and so Usagi was actually paying attention to the male instructor. If it had been female or the other drama coach, even then she'd have no one to talk to. The class ended up being pretty fun. One of the best ones all day, the other classes the girls either couldn't stop talking about the new three males or were drooling over their actual presence.

At lunch time, Usagi was dragged outside with her friends. After her first two classes, she'd needed to go to the office and get another special print out of her schedule, having to admit she'd _lost_ hers, but rather after asking Seiya for it back after that class period, he refused until she agreed to his demands. Now outside on the front yard, she watched the fellow student body crowd around him, showing off their fan cards and trying to talk to them. There was a car that had pulled up along side the road and Seiya turned to the crowd.

"What makes them so special that they can leave campus?" Usagi grouched. She was looking away from them when she heard Seiya's alto voice. His siblings were just a hair deeper and higher than him.

"Oi, Odango! Want me to bring anything back for you?" Usagi's head snapped around, surprised, (but shouldn't have been), to be addressed so loudly by someone other than her friends. She shook it negatively, glaring at him the whole time, he chuckled then joined his brothers in the car. Once they drove off all eyes were on her, and not just from her friends.

Minako's large blue ones were even larger and in her face. "_Why do you know Seiya?_"

"I told you, he's a jerk. I had first period with him." Usagi spun around and headed for a spot she wanted to claim for lunch from now on, just like they had in junior high, though now they were back on the bottom of the feed line. She ignored all of the questions and looks from all of the jealous girls, including her friends. They'd be back and she hadn't had the plan on joining them at the line again, she'd be inside, doing anything else.

Usagi started in on her letter for the next day for Mamoru, this way she could send him two in two days and not have to worry about coming up with something tomorrow if she couldn't, or keep everything a day behind in case that happened.

However after lunch, she got pulled along again to wait for the three lights. Usagi tried to hide behind Makoto but she kept moving. "Have I missed their entrance?" Rei panted, coming up from behind them.

"What are you doing here?" Usagi asked, eyes narrowing. What was so special about the lights anyways?

"I wanted to come see them too. The girls texted me during class and now that we know where they're going I wanted to be here." Rei sighed as the car pulled up. "I'm thinking of transferring myself."

Usagi rolled her eyes, Rei couldn't even transfer when it came to protecting her princess and being closer for the whole day, but she could come to the same school when the idols were here? Usagi wanted to laugh and cry, it felt so affirming to her. Though it could have been smart, if it had been the reasoning, that Rei went to a different school so if anyone attacked Usagi's she'd be able to help externally or get more help or find danger at a different time/location than the rest, but that wasn't the reasoning and it was just hurtful that Rei would come only for a boy. "Typical."

Rei glanced at her, about to say something, probably reassuring or sarcastic but meaningful, but the three lights stepped out. Rei was first in line. She showed her badge. She was in the 2000s though closer to three and Makoto stepped in with one a thousand or so less. Minako butted in. "293." The other girls sighed not only in defeat but also in amazement. Then Ami slid up and meekly presented her own card, surprising all of them with number 25. "Wow, she's first for everything."

Usagi couldn't believe even Ami got in on this and was so high up in the ladder. The boys gave them a polite brush-off, thanking them for their interest. Usagi slid back through the crowd, she wanted no part in this. She brushed at her eyes as she left, removing herself from the group and knowing that was exactly what she was doing, and needing to. They'd soon get over this, and see the lights for who they really were, and Usagi wasn't mad at them, she was just feeling a little lonely and it was her problem, not theirs, they should enjoy their little fantasies, she would be right there with them had it been any other time. Usagi laughed though as she walked, Ami surprised her more than the others, Ami usually ignored fads like this, maybe the three lights were actually pretty good at doing whatever it was they did. And who did the lights think they were? A smaller Beatles group? They weren't even wearing the same school uniform as the rest of them, and the color and style reminded her of a poor attempt to imitate them.

She was joined by her friends before she even got where she was going and they filed into a class. They weren't allowed to sit together. There was a seat behind Usagi open, one next to Minako and one in front of Makoto. Rei had to leave, her lunch break was ending soon as well. Ami wasn't in this class, she was taking upper levels. The teacher was talking about helping them out and showing them. "Psst, thought anything about showing me around?" Seiya asked, tugging on one of Usagi's pigtails, Minako was offering her services to Yaten and Makoto was just blushing up a storm behind Taiki.

"Of course she would!" Though they weren't allowed next to each other, Minako was still close enough to overhear them, even if the teacher wasn't.

"Minako!" Usagi hissed, not wanting to have her volunteer her for a job she didn't want to do. "No, I won't!"

"I want Odango to show me around."

"I'd show you around and Usagi will join us!" Minako was leaning out of her seat towards them and got yelled at by the teacher. She almost fell out of the chair in her surprise, and Usagi was vaguely impressed that she managed to catch herself, or at least chose to this time.

Minako went back to chatting with Yaten, pleased as a peacock with herself that Seiya and Yaten were both going to be with her one of these days around the city and the rest of the day at school, to and from classes. Seiya leaned forward and his breath skimmed Usagi's ear. "I got us off, I want a personal tour."

"You got us on in the first place." Usagi argued. "So really you can just show yourself around."

"Man you're cold." His words hit a note with Usagi and she sighed, normally she wasn't this resistant to new-comers, but something about Seiya put her on edge and it felt like nerves, not something she usually felt and it wasn't a completely bad feeling. Though it didn't sit right with Usagi.

"Fine." Usagi grouched out before all four of them got yelled at for talking.

Seiya managed to rope her into staying for a basketball game after school. The other senshi were there, as well as the rest of the female population of the school. The only males besides the lights were on the court. Seiya played, the other two sat out and Usagi sat at the edge bored. She didn't want to be there, she'd just got pulled into it _again_.

Yaten got bored as well and complained about the stench and Seiya. Usagi instantly liked him the best of the three siblings. Taiki was talking about doing something else instead, like a culture club that the school put on after hours. Minako in a bid to get to know all three, slammed her own activity- sports- to drag Taiki to one of his culture club meetings. Yaten headed home and Taiki tried to tell Minako he could go on his own. Minako was scary when she was trying to get her own way and eventually the brunette light submitted to Minako's insistence and threats.

"Does that mean I can leave now?" Usagi tried to inch her way out of the gymnasium, Rei had showed up somewhere along the way, but that didn't surprise Usagi anymore after her stint at lunch. If she had known about it, Rei would have been there at the first bell. As Yaten had pointed out, Seiya was just toying with the basketball team.

"Of course not Odango!" Seiya yelled up to the bleachers when she disappeared from sight. "You have to show me to the American Football club."

"For one thing, I'm not ODANGO! I've told you! Another, _FIND IT YOURSELF!_" She really just wanted to go home, it was boring to sit and watch everything and not partake, especially when it was done with such ease by the man she was staring to detest.

The remaining three senshi were all over her as soon as she stopped speaking. "You can't talk to him like that!" "He's our Idol."

Usagi looked at them a little scared before brushing it off, Seiya deserved it. He proved he did when the ball landed by their feet and he picked it up, joining in without pads or invitation or training. "What are you doing?" Usagi asked dryly when he tucked it into his side.

"You wanted to see a cool guy like me do a touchdown, right?" He winked at her and then sprinted out onto the field. Although Usagi had to admit, he was pretty fast as he avoided all of the members, and gaining yards towards the field-goal. Tenth District had the best footballers around. However their star player's attention was caught, who ended up being faster than he was and sideswiped him, knocking him to the ground.

Usagi hesitated only a second before sliding in between the two, checking on the grounded player first. "He wasn't wearing armor! You could have seriously hurt him!" Usagi stood with her hands on her hips, facing up to the man much broader than any man she'd ever seen before and muscular, not to mention taller. He was taller than Seiya, who seemed taller than even Mamoru, who was always towered over Usagi. So this man was a skyscraper to Usagi's one story hut. Seiya would be fine, he was just a little winded, but that wasn't the point.

The other girls, Makoto in the lead ran to join their leader, but didn't get there in time as the captain removed his helmet and put out his hand. Usagi flinched, she'd been on the receiving end of that before but it just stayed there, low and Seiya turned over behind her and took it, the Captain helping him to stand. "Kayama." They shook hands.

"Seiya." Was the response back. "Wow you're a big guy, very strong too."

"You're not so bad yourself, my team could benefit with you on it."

"Oh that, it was simple evade and chasing, it was nothing." Seiya responded simply, like it really was nothing.

Usagi's eyes though were on the Captain, if she weren't, well, whatever she was, then maybe she would have been chasing around this man. "Would you like to join our team?"

"Sure." Seiya didn't even sound like he cared much now. Usagi's eyes grew, just what he needed, something for his head to grow in size more.

Usagi tried to object. "What would you want such an idiot on your team for? He doesn't have any training."

"You wouldn't understand Odango." Seiya's tone was teasing, though his words annoyed her, but then again, maybe she wouldn't. His next words ruined anything she might have been thinking, if it was anything positive at all. "Unless of course _you_ would want this wild man all to yourself."

"Ooh!" Usagi grumbled at him and was even more annoyed with Kayama called her name that also. "It's not Odango, it's USAGI!"

Kayama laughed. "You've got a very cute girlfriend." He tossed at Seiya.

"I'm-"

Seiya wrapped an arm around Usagi's shoulders. "Of course. But I'd like to keep her to myself. She's just not a great listener." Seiya ignored her intense glare, really he went too far! She tried to disentangle herself and Kayama yelled a parting towards her and she waved back at the jock but ignored Seiya. They hadn't even known each other a day! Taking such liberties! On the plus side though, even if it was short lived, he didn't know who Seiya was either.

The only reason she was attracted even remotely to the jock was because he was the complete opposite of both Seiya and Mamoru. While Mamoru was strong, he didn't appear overly so, this man seemed more like someone coming from the Americas than Japan, thus also another opposite for him from Mamoru. Whereas Seiya might be strong, she hadn't noticed yet, but he was slim and sinewy, his trick didn't seem direct combat, Mamoru could handle that if he needed to fight, he might survive or even win, probably the latter. Seiya was more slippery, his attack would come after he avoided and evaded all the attacks first. Maybe that would work to his advantage. Even though this jock was the opposite of both Mamoru and Seiya, Usagi couldn't help but admitting that Mamoru was the best of both, he was strong but he was sly. He could go head to head but also slip through the defenses.

He was also very muscular without his shirt on, which was part of the problem, as Kamen he had four layers, at least over his skin. A smile tilted at her lips as she recalled the most recent occasion that she'd had with him without his shirt on. Then just before the negatives could infiltrate, which she tried not to do, she heard a loud groan that sounded like it came from a man through the girl's locker room window.

The sailor senshi stealing star seeds was checking out the footballer from behind as she spoke to him. "Yes, I like you standing right there."

Kayama groaned and Usagi watched as the crystal came out of the middle of his forehead and turn dark. Usagi transformed behind the building where she was alone and then popped out, trying to stop the girl. The girl waved and disappeared in a telephone booth again. Her heart began to quicken as the man turned into a sailor senshi.

Moon had to blink a few times, her eyes widening in disbelief. Luna had found her just in time to watch it as well and couldn't believe it either as the six foot seven man turned into a giant pink bench-pressing senshi with _the_ smallest tightest shorts and cropped top, splitting as he stretched his muscles. If it wasn't so horrifying, both would have broken out laughing. "Looks nasty." Luna finally managed to say.

"You think so?" Moon asked dryly. "He even has _wings! _Not to mention the skirt thing..."

"Sailor Guts!" The man was saying. "Sweat, blood and guts are part of male's attractiveness. You get youth's perspiration!" He started sending liquid bombs at Moon, which she narrowly avoided and tried to plug her nose so she wouldn't pass out from the stench.

"It's worse because they don't use deodorant like they should." Luna mumbled as she avoided them with her charge. One landed next to them onto the concrete and melted a hole through it. "Must have acid in it or something."

"I think the smell did it." Moon did a back-flip, though not well over one, barely avoiding another, and then a blast from another direction fried a third she might have evaded. _She _was not good with that tactic. Hers was just to take this hits if she couldn't get away from them, or try to block them...

While only temporary effective, it did give Moon a moment to breathe. Then it was attacking the other senshi as well. This time they were saved by the newest arrivals on the side of 'good', but with all these sailors out there now, Moon couldn't say that for sure like she normally would, though they had saved her now twice.

The youma/Kayama was down on the ground, hurt and the three Star Senshi were mocking them. Asking if they couldn't do any better and questioning the validity of being senshi. Moon cut them off though when Maker looked like she would attack again. "Matte! I'll do this! Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!"

Kayama turned back to normal and Fighter looked at her a moment. "Seems only you deserve the title, though only for your healing abilities." Then the three left.

Moon watched after them confused, her senshi were good at what they did. It wasn't there fault as soon as they became powerful enough and strong enough for one enemy without dying or saving her from dying another one came along that was even stronger. They had lived in a region of peace, their training might not have been as deep as the others' and Moon had none on the Moon.

"So any thought Usa-chan on what you want to join after school so you'd be too _busy_ to show Seiya around?" Makoto teased her friend as they walked to the Crown.

Usagi's nose scrunched up. "Don't laugh, but I'm thinking the Anime club."

"That sounds interesting." Ami added to the conversation. Makoto and Rei were dragging Minako along with them, who would probably have stayed at the school to see if she could have found the lights again after the brief time she was pulled away. Usagi doubted they'd be there, not with Seiya's oversized ego, Yaten's dislike for anything having to actually do _with_ _people_ and Taiki seeming to have interests outside of Minako's realm of understanding. She was better off finding them somewhere else.

"It gets out earlier than the Football games. Different days too. Smart, so when he has to do something, you have off and vice-versa." Makoto nodded her approval. If it kept Usagi away from her lights, that meant that it would be a better possibility for them liking another girl, and Usagi didn't need the stress of batting off boys when she was practically engaged.

"For this season." Minako piped in. "The Football season ends early December. Then he will have every day off, he might just join you." She sing-sanged and leaned over Usagi's shoulder to see what she was doodling. "A pig?"

"A Racoon?"

"A porcupine."

"A Tasmanian Tiger."

"That's a Devil. That's not Kanji."

"It's LUNA!" Usagi shoved it away, the club was supposed to help her, so she wasn't taking any of this from any of them. And she really didn't know what she was going to do about Seiya, it wasn't that she had to worry about him, it was just that he annoyed her and he seemed to enjoy doing so, even wanting to stick with her and make her suffer him just so he'd be entertained. But he had a softer side too, she just hadn't caught a glimpse of it yet.

There was a certain part of her that didn't want to find his softer side, and it was that part that she adhered to. Her plan was just to avoid him as much as she could.

EAN: So? What are we thinking?


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

AN: I've had a change of heart... sort of... I guess I hadn't really thought of this earlier, though I know it's true, I dealt with it in other stories to a point. Seiya is a girl senshi and a male normally...? Or he's always a girl, just pretending to be a guy and dressing in male clothes, but definitely a girl... except in the anime he has his shirt off and only a towel on, so either he's male on top and female below, I have to pick one for the sake of this story. So I'm picking this...: He's always a guy. Mamoru has powers, and yes I know, Prince of Earth, but he's Prince Endymion, King Endymion, Tuxedo Kamen, Moonlight Knight (I know I've already said that section's worthless, I say it again... really, splitting your soul to protect her when you don't know? COME ON! Where is this Moonlight Knight when he's captured by Beryl or Nepherititi, etc?)[Now watching the musical, I see he did it there too? Or was it always Mamoru, and he didn't want her to know he was back...? Which is stupid too!], Mamoru and I think there's ONE more, but I forget it at this time... other than EVIL Endymion... I think he shows up more than Mamoru/Endymion/Kamen combined in this series. Right, sorry, back to my point, it's writer's rules, so I'm throwing out the whole female only senshi thing. Seiya and brothers don't get a crystal like Kamen/Endymion, but they can be senshi. So they have similar outfits to what they wear in the anime but... instead of only hiding the important bits, it's more like a leotard, covering their entire torso, but with shorts and not full sleeves. (Got to have the comments in there _somewhere_ right?)

AN2: I wrote a majority of this chapter, but I was rereading it, and I read my first AN, in the first chapter, and I was hoping to get back into this story, so I went looking for the video, by SILVERMOONPRINCESS and it was taken down... sad day... I loved it. Hopefully I will someday find it again. It seems all the vids that inspired me have been taken down, and then loosing my manga... ahhh!

* * *

Usagi was walking straight down the street when she bumped into someone coming around the bend. She was knocked to the ground and she inwardly saw the irony of this situation as Seiya held out his hand to help her up. "Sorry." He apologized, hand still straight in front of her eyes, waiting for her to place her hand within his and acknowledge his presence. "Are you ok?" He asked, and she could tell he was somewhat concerned and apologetic and she sighed, letting him help her up. "Starstruck?" He posed for her, waiting for her to probably squeal and clamor on. "You're just hypnotic by my presence."

Usagi raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because- I'm- oh." Seiya breathed out a defeated breath. "You really don't know who I am, do you? Or care."

Usagi's lips pursed for a moment before she shook her head. "I know that all the girls are going gaga for you at school and are apparently some sort of celebrity. Though I'd never heard of you before. And really-" Her eyes ran down his body. "I don't see any reason why they would be."

"Not even after I showed you how amazing I was at American Football?"

Usagi couldn't help the laugh that escaped and she quickly put a stop to it, not because he deserved her regard, but because she wasn't that mean to anyone. "Uh.. after the stunt you pulled yesterday made me start questioning whether or not somewhere along the lines your brain got scrambled."

There was slowly a crowd gathering around them, it had originally been Usagi and Seiya and his two body guards and social planner, but people started recognizing him and Usagi wanted to slink away, she knew it was stupid, but she was adverse to being caught on film, in any version of herself. Seiya opened his mouth for a retort, and it was probably the only time he hadn't had a sarcastic comment or virtually unhelpful insight and she relished the moment, for she knew it wouldn't last. His mouth closed for a moment as he rethought what he was going to say, now caught in a large group and his idol status on the line. Partly it was a shame too, she had enjoyed this banter, somewhat, with Mamoru, and she was interested to see what Seiya had for a retort, and what Mamoru's would have been long ago if she had made a similar comment. "Would you like to continue this conversation in a less public forum?" He shook his head at her look, knowing what she would say and wanted to avoid being humiliated. "Well then, as long as you're all right, again, sorry for knocking you down."

He nodded towards the other onlookers and then the four of them were on their way, far enough away that Usagi couldn't be sure, she thought she saw Seiya turn his head and look back towards her. Did he just save her from media scandal? She frowned after him until he disappeared, perhaps she had just found his softer side...

Usagi continued on her way, though she couldn't help but think about Seiya and what he had just done for her. Not that it would have been needed had she not known Seiya little more personally than a lot of the other girls around. Minako caught up to her and grabbed her arm. "You know Seiya-kun, pretty well, no?"

Usagi looked at Minako like she'd just lost her head and looked wearily as their planned shopping trip ended up with them in an electronics store. "Mina-chan, really, please-"

"Come on, Usa-chan, it'll be great." When Usagi crossed her arms and refused to move from the aisle by the DVDs, Minako's eyes gleamed wickedly. "If you don't do it, I will tell everyone about what you did on the last day of summer vacation-"

Usagi's face turned beat red and she started to grow hot, and started fanning herself. "You wouldn't!"

"I guess you'll never know, unless you do as I ask."

Usagi pursed her lips, refusing to budge, but her new coloring didn't go away. "What is it you want me to do exactly. I won't do anything illegal, like spying on him in the boys bathroom."

"No, no. Nothing like that, it won't get you into trouble, I swear!" Somehow though, Usagi didn't quite believe her blond friend. "Come on!" Minako grabbed her arm and towed her towards the cameras, and picked up a small digital camera that Usagi could easily hide in her pocket or in the palm of her hand. "I'm going to buy this, and I want you to use it." Usagi sent her a very dangerous look. "Not in the boys bathroom." Minako confirmed, looking at the face. "Though... I still have my disguise..."

"Minako, if that was really your goal, to look at-" Usagi couldn't finish her statement, because she shot up to a new brilliant red color.

Minako looked at Usagi with something like bewilderment. "Really, after who knows how many years with Mamoru, you still can't even say the word, or think the thought? I would have thought the two of you were going at it like, er, excuse the pun, monkeys!"

"I think that's rabbits."

Minako waved off the correction. "Whatever, you know what I mean. You mean to tell me, that you've never-"

"Minako-chan!" Usagi was suddenly very firm and wouldn't take any more of this conversation. "If Mamoru and I had done anything, do you really think you would be wondering about this at all, that you wouldn't know?"

"I always assumed it was something you wouldn't talk about, even if you were doing it. Though I suppose you would be right, you'd be a lot more chipper after seeing him, instead of frustrated." Minako paused as she looked over Usagi. "You know, you get any redder and I'll have to call the fire department. I have bets that they'll get here before the ambulance."

Usagi glared at one of her best friends. How could she tell Minako that she had wanted it, but he had turned her down? It had been done eloquently, but it was still a rejection. He didn't mind taking other pleasures in her being his girlfriend though. This blush was a lot lighter, but it was from her own thoughts and not from Minako's words. She questioned Minako what she wanted Usagi to do with the camera, resigned to do what Minako wanted.

"First you'll be stationed where I put you, so I can bring Seiya..." Minako explained her plan and Usagi by the end of the day, finally getting in real shopping as well, knew what was wanted of her, and she couldn't help but feel like this would only end up causing her issues.

Usagi couldn't get over one comment though. Minako had suggested, and it was a quote. "Maybe you should use the Luna pen and turn into a boy and wander into the boy's changing room. It'd be an education that the rest of us thought you would get by having a boyfriend." Usagi didn't respond to that, because by normal rights, it would be true. Instead he was too upstanding a gentleman to go that far with her before marriage. He wouldn't even kiss her in public, much less anything else, all in an attempt to protect her honor. She was beginning to think as she walked away from Minako and down the street to see people snogging all along her walk home, from younger than her to her parents age, that it was more because Mamoru was embarrassed to be seen with her.

Usagi hugged the packages she had bought close to her, to keep herself from falling apart on the street. She stopped at the mailbox and pulled out whatever the family got for letters and bills and flipped through them as she walked up to her parents' house. Nothing for her, it had been two weeks since the last letter and there had been another youma attack and no phone call from Mamoru that time.

Dumping the mail on the usual spot between the kitchen and living room, Usagi headed upstairs to unpack her bags. She pulled out a cute fall dress she had bought, but Mamoru would never see her wear it new. Would never see any of these clothes in the right season, brand new.

The next day, Minako planned to put her carefully crafted idea into action and Usagi was the victim of it, no matter what the paper might say in the end.

Minako found her the next morning, early for the two of them, far too early for Usagi to go along with this insane plan. Ami had updated their communicators from calculator size to watches and Minako had established a link with Usagi so she would know they were coming before they got there. Then Minako left to go find Seiya, and Usagi waited by the bushes, waiting. She had practically fallen asleep by the time Minako squeal jerked her upright, and Usagi looked around for the fire, but then realized it was just Minako spotting her prey.

Usagi glanced at the watch, seeing the surroundings passing by as the two walked and Minako chatted on, pulling Seiya along with her. If Usagi got caught and blamed for this little escapade, then Seiya would never let her alone. "All right, let's get this done." Minako slipped ahead of Seiya just long enough to push Usagi along.

"I don't know..." Usagi looked at the small screen dubiously. "Isn't this a bit risky?"

"It's too late for that! Just do it already!" Minako looked scary, and Usagi was wondering if that's what all the youma saw shortly before their death.

"Aino-san, what is it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Seiya asked slightly annoyed, Minako was supposed to show him around, but he only wanted Usagi to, and maybe she'd be able to tell him why the Odango wasn't playing.

"Well-" Minako sounded like she was about to admit what she wanted when she suddenly moaned in pain. "Ouch! My eye. I think there's something in it!"

Seiya was constantly surprising Usagi with how much he wasn't a jerk as he lifted Minako's head towards his. Usagi was impressed by Minako's acting abilities and took several shots of them together, The way their heads were tilted, and the way Seiya was looking at her intently, (looking for whatever was in her eye), but in the camera, it looked like he was looking at Minako that way. Very believable, Usagi smirked as she got into the picture taking, one like that, from the angle Minako had set her up in and then started moving around as silently as she could. Seiya was a jerk, and Minako was her friend. She wouldn't feel bad about this.

Maybe she should get into photography, maybe they'd have a club like that around. Just as she got a close one of them just about to kiss, she snapped another and glancing into its display, it showed Seiya's eyes, which flickered over to her and the tree she was hiding behind currently.

"Oi, Odango, if you really wanted a picture of me, you just had to ask!" Seiya grabbed the camera and tossed it to Minako. "I'll even do you one better, I'll let you stand next to me!"

Minako snapped the picture as Seiya dragged Usagi up against him and grinned at the camera. Usagi was struggling to get away, and leaning far away from him when he leant towards her, invading her personal space and Minako kept clicking away.

Usagi pulled away from his tight grasp and stormed away, Seiya was laughing as she cursed him out. "She really likes me." He tossed over his shoulder towards the blond that had intended to get him alone, to chase after the one that couldn't wait to be rid of him.

Looking over the photos later, after Minako's plan for the other two were succeeded, and Usagi was in possession of the camera again. The other girls clicked through it. Seeing first a few good shots of Minako and Seiya together, then a few really horrible ones. Then one where Usagi was making a surprised face, being pulled in tight to Seiya, who grinned at the camera, before the following pictures showed what really happened. Usagi glowering and glaring and attempting to pull away, struggling to get out of his hands as he continued looking at the camera, and then noticing her slipping through his fingers and looking down at her. "He looks like he really likes you, Usa-chan." Makoto stated dejectively.

"Yeah well, he can go suck it." Usagi stated grumpily. "God he even looks like he's man-handling me." For it was true, she looked very unhappy being in his hands.

"What I wouldn't give for him to man handle me." Makoto sighed dreamily. Usagi about gagged.

"Well, you can have him. You can have the whole lot as far as I'm concerned."

"Usa-chan!" Ami barated sharply. "She cannot have all of them. It wouldn't be fair. I really wish now that I had been in your math class that first day. I would have offered my services as well."

Usagi was looking white, looking sickened by all three of them. "She's really outdone herself, hasn't she? These photos are incriminating enough to be believed that she is the girlfriend of anyone of them, or all of them. She's really going to sell them to the newspaper?"

"Yep. Maybe be seen as the girl who will start a mini-riot between them."

"But who is she really after?" Rei demanded.

Usagi shrugged, she couldn't care. "Any one that would have her, I'm sure. They're probably equal in her eyes. Anyway, they'd just be a way a means to an end for her, she really wants to just use them to get her own publicity."

"No way!"

Minako walked in and all of the senshi but Usagi were glaring at her arrival, demanding before she even finished saying hi, what her real goal was and pointing at the photo currently on the camera screen, spoon feeding Yaten his soup. Minako nudged Usagi out of her way, pushing her further into the booth and Usagi about fell over from the impact. "Rude girl." Usagi muttered under her breath and slid to make Minako room. For all the work she had done for Minako!

Then her anger really started to boil as Minako waved that off. "Oh that was only a detour. I'm working on a real plan now!" They waited for her to spill as she waited for them to ask and eventually Usagi did for them, not really interested in the answer. "I'm going to become their personal assistant! I'll be with them all day, every day, being noticed by the public and eventually working my way into their hearts!"

"Well..." Makoto wasn't sure she even wanted to ask this, fearing the answer. "What is your real goal than, to debut as an idol yourself or to score a boyfriend in the Three Lights?"

"Both of course!" Minako's answer angered everyone, but Usagi who slipped under the table, grabbing her bag without being noticed. The last thing she wanted was to hear more about this and the Three Lights this, the Three Lights that. "Oh no, look at the time! I'm late, the Lights are waiting for me!"

Minako's quick hurry out of the Crown was the perfect getaway for Usagi who used it to her own advantage and slipped around Motoki and out the backway. "When she'd get the chance to become the assistant?" Rei asked the group, when all eyes returned to what they were doing before Minako's quick flyby.

Usagi was wondering the same thing, here she was taking photos, and Minako was scoring a spot as an assistant. "Hey... where'd Usagi-chan go?" Makoto asked, noticing the empty spot both girls had been in before Minako left.

Elsewhere the Three Lights practiced and talked about their own Princess and the desire to find her, but she needed to find them. And even further away, a girl with curly hair was looking through a magazine about upcoming stars. Finding her next shot a few pages in.

Itabashi Saki, twenty-four, was the most promising one of the ones she had read about. It would have been almost ironic had Usagi realized it, that the next intended victim was a star in the industry that Usagi had just started getting interested in again, after the last debockal with Rei's childhood friend when they were younger being Zoicite's intended victim and having just becoming friends with Usagi as well before being attacked.

Minako waited outside the recording studio, looking in, watching the Three Lights warm up. Her face was pressed against the glass, watching intently. "What's he doing?"

"Warming his voice."

"Cleaning his breast?"

"Why would he be- Usa-chan? What are you doing here?"

"Thought I'd tag along, see what the fruits of my labor got you. Besides, you seemed to be having fun."

Minako would have scolded her off for joining in when not invited, but couldn't seem to do it. She did it often enough on herself and it was nice having Usagi along. Though she did scold off the woman who was taking photos of the Three Lights while they weren't paying attention. "No photos without permission!"

Usagi would have pointed out that Minako had her doing just that earlier today, had she not agreed with the blond about this woman being uninvited, theirs had just been harmless fun. "Move aside, you're blocking a shot."

The three of them caught the motion, and while Yaten and Taiki went back to warming up, Seiya's eyes locked onto Usagi's and he winked. Usagi could just hear the comment he'd have and heard when they headed down towards the press release. "Couldn't stay away? Had to tag along and see me in action. You could have always asked for a private tour. I would have loved to give it to you." He leaned down towards her, his lips grazing her ear as she continued to walk straight, following Minako and the other two lights, Seiya brought up the rear, or rather his bodyguards did. "I still might be willing to give it to you, if you ask really nicely."

If he wasn't famous, or at least a star with bodyguards, she would have elbowed him in the stomach for comments like that, but as it were, she was on his turf, just because she wanted to follow Minako, see what she was up to.

The woman from earlier kept snapping shots as the trio entered the room, Minako stood behind their display, handing out signed autographs. Usagi headed to the audience, to hear what they had to announce. She really did not know anything about them.

Usagi giggled as she over heard Minako's pitch. "Signed autographs, got each of theirs on it, mine too!" The giggle stopped short as Minako was hauled out by the photographer lady. "Hey, ouch, that hurts!" Minako rubbed her wrist when they were out of the throng of crowds.

"This is not a game." The woman sounded angry. "It's not a little play time for you, this is serious business." She waved her finger in Minako's face before remounting her ladder to take more pictures. Minako was seriously tempted to kicked the ladder over, but it would cause a big scene, and she didn't need that on her first day as assistant, she was sure she'd be fired if she did that, even if it was an annoying photographer.

Minako watched as the camera went from tracking all the lights to Usagi, who was making her way over towards them. The photographer snapped several shots of the one blond, before capturing both. "What happened?" Usagi asked, not looking at the camera straight on, instead, trying to keep her face away from it as much as possible.

"Nothing. Though I am going to have to burn some film." Minako too was very conscious about keeping Usagi's image out of print. The last thing anyone needed was for her to get connected to the senshi. They had plenty of Moon pictures to try to make out some sort of features, and if pairing it with Usagi, they might make out more than they would guess. There was a glimmer, protecting them, distorting the features, changing colors slightly, but it was still risky, maybe not for this enemy, if there really was one, but for the future as well. Demando would figure it out a lot sooner had he got his hands on these images and it would be worse if a name was attached.

"Are you ok? You seem angry. I thought this was supposed to be fun." Usagi gestured towards the girls now surrounding them, wanting more autographs.

"I thought it was too." Minako agreed. "It is, sorry, some people are just pushy and rude. You're right. Come on, you can help me."

Minako kept an eye on the woman, her images wouldn't go to press, even if Usagi's never saw anything other than the digital memory card in the newly bought camera. Personal effects wouldn't be touched or understood in the future, and those were at least safe from Demando's clutches, anything to slow him down this time around or at least keep the same pace.

However Minako didn't have to worry about destroying the evidence as Yaten did it for her. He was furious about being caught mid-yawn and pulled out the film, ruining any images that might have been on there. The woman pulled out a digital camera as he did it, and she praised the look he was giving her. Then she stopped and held out her hand. "I'm Itabashi Saki, I'm the one doing the piece on The Naked Three Lights."

Taiki stepped forward instantly to shake her hand. "I am pleased to meet you."

Usagi and Minako looked in, they had already said goodnight to the Lights, but this had caught their attention. Usagi gave Minako a look: _the NAKED Three Lights?_ Her eyebrows rose and Minako sent her back a look, wiggling her own, and clearly stating that their earlier talk had merits.

Seiya undid his tie and loosened his shirt, casting a look at the two blonds hiding in the door way, he waved them in, but Minako shook her head negatively. "She's a cameraman." Usagi stated, fascinated.

Minako's reaction instantly flared to angry. "I can see _that_!" She slammed the door shut, but now they couldn't see or hear, but Minako was intent on pulling Usagi away and back towards Minako's house, where she could vent in peace.

Usagi entered tentatively, she never felt totally at ease in this house, Minako's parents were hardly ever around and when they were, Usagi always had to double check that they weren't youma or being used by one. Minako knew this was a place she wouldn't be overheard, and if the risk was there, she'd know it.

So Usagi listened and tried to placate Minako's tension. She understood partly where Minako was coming from. It wasn't easy being watched like a hawk and Minako wanted to enter that world both feet first.

The next day, found the two of them on the couch, having slept there when Minako finally calmed down and then Minako was pulling Usagi out of the house and towards the waiting car. They hadn't changed and Minako and Usagi both silently used their transformers to make them look presentable, but without changing clothes, so the driver wouldn't notice.

"Usa-chan, you really shouldn't stick around with us." Minako attempted. "This might give you bad publicity. Well... publicity to start out with, at least."

Usagi shook her head. "Why would they care about me when they have them, and you?" And Minako had nothing to argue with there, it was just weird that the photographer had decided to turn her camera on Usagi the night before. Maybe she was just trying to get the crowd as well.

The car stopped outside of the city, at a farm. They were let out in front of a green house, and the trailer was already there. A box of glasses sat next to a table and folded on a tray, was an apron. Minako quickly donned it and filled up the glasses, ready for the shoot. They were making a commercial. "What is this stuff?" Usagi asked as she filled up more glasses, helping Minako out as she walked back from replacing the ones they had used for their third angle and fourth shot.

"Red soup."

Usagi should have known better, as it was close to the blue soup Ikuko-mama shoved down her throat every time she was sick, thinking it would help her get better. That though was the foulest thing she had ever tasted. But as Minako brought out the next shot for the Kou brothers, Usagi figured it couldn't be that bad. They were drinking shot after shot of it, in wine glasses no less. Usagi took one of the extra glasses and poured herself one and taking the plunge, sipped at it, so if she didn't like it, it wasn't that much. Even just a sip had her gagging. She set it down, looking for something to rinse her mouth out with, it could be anything, anything at all.

She found water and chugged away at it. It didn't mask the taste, didn't dilute it, if anything, it made it worse. It intensified the taste. It was coated on her lips and tongue and all over her mouth. How did that happen from just a little tiny taste?

She was wrong by the way. Blue soup tasted like cookies compared to this. She scowled at the drink before looking up when she heard laughter. She saw Seiya looking at her and holding his merriment in as best he could.

The videographer for the shoot was loving it though, thinking Seiya was acting for the camera and not just giving an innocent girl a hard time. "How could they be so cruel?" Usagi whined, they had not even flinched once. "Are their taste-buds destroyed or something?"

Her comment was directed towards Minako as she returned for another tray full. Minako sighed and rolled her eyes, bumping hips with Usagi and nodding towards replacing the glass with another. Usagi had after all, drank from the ones Minako had prepared. "Really Usa-chan, you're so far out of your element sometimes. They're idols, and idols have to smile in front of a camera! If they can't sell a product, they can't get paid, if they can't get paid, then really, what are they?"

"That sounds... rather stupid." The girl from the night before said as she walked around the trailer that was brought out to this shoot. "You think you know everything, don't you? You want to be an idol yourself, right? Well, if you become one, then you'll see."

The girl walked away, it seemed like her sole job was to infuriate Minako. Usagi was used to those characters being situated for her, not Minako. It was a different situation and Usagi didn't like anyone bothering her friends. Not that she liked it when it was her, but she was a martyr. She let Minako continue with her waitressing and slipped around the van to follow the reporter.

"Wait!" Usagi called as she jogged to catch up to her. "What was that comment about?"

"Oh, just your friend is making an idol's life more interesting and complicated than it really is. I'm not saying it's not hard work, but a lot of the time they're just doing what someone else told them to do, and all they have to do is look pretty in front of the cameras. Sometimes doing _that_ is hard work, but in this situation, you were closer to the truth. They were given mouth guards, something that would allow them to swallow the drink and talk normally, but without having to taste it. If either of you are going to make it as an Idol, my bet is on you." She added as an after thought.

It caused Usagi to slow in her walk along side the girl and when she found herself at a standstill, she realized the comment had shocked her. "I'm not looking to become an Idol."

"Just the girlfriend of one? I can tell you, you could do a lot better than that. Besides, that's more up her alley, isn't it? As an additional note, if you were to become an Idol of your own right, that would allow you to stay in control if he were to ever dump you."

"Dump? I'm not dating any of them! I have a boyfriend in the United States!"

The girl looked Usagi over, and nodded to herself. "Yah, keep telling yourself that, you're still young and don't understand men yet." Then she caught sight of the ring on Usagi's finger. It was on the wrong one, but it was too obvious to be anything else. "But perhaps I am mistaken. Maybe it is your own heart you don't understand yet." The girl hesitated, she seemed to be debating which way she wanted to go, which way she should feel about this, and Usagi had no idea what she was mulling over so intensely. "I should be scornful, but I don't know the situation in depth, so I'll only offer you friendly advice. Make sure this thing with the boy in America is blown over and officially over before you allow yourself to be linked with an Idol. If not the two of you will have very bad press, no matter what the true story is. As it is, there could still be hints at something more going on than what meets the eye."

Then the girl left Usagi standing there, still absolutely confused. What was the point of that conversation? Usagi knew her own heart. She understood men. This was all easy after everything she'd already been through, right? She turned her head to see the three Kous walking towards her, they were laughing together and Minako was right with them. But her eyes didn't look at her best friend, they were on the middle brother in both age and height, though not in coloring. The way he laughed, showed off white teeth as he wasn't holding anything back. He was comfortable in his own skin and was self-assured. However it was different than Mamoru's self-assured-ness.

Usagi would have gone home once this commercial was finished, she was tired, it had been a late night and an even earlier morning, however she got dragged along with everyone else, her protests ignored. They ended up at the studio, where it was the girl who not only was in a field similar to Rei's friend from so long ago, but strangely even looked like Rei. There was the same dark hair, and eyes, but she wasn't Rei at the same time. She was taller, and more tom-boy and her hair was pulled back into a braid with bangs and a lot more womanly curves on display.

Usagi didn't know, as she'd taken herself off to a convenience store at the time, but later she learned that there was a fair amount of talk about dedication and strictness that came with being an idol and Minako's feelings towards the photographer had changed. Really Usagi didn't care. She had been not only tired, but hungry too, and now she had to deal with the same girl turned youma, Sailor Photograph and Sailor Iron Mouse. She didn't let the Sailor Stars hurt the woman, but Usagi wasn't feeling particularly loving towards her either.

The week ended how it started, well, she guessed the few days into the week at any rate, with her gathering around with the other girls, who were questioning Minako's future plans before rudely being bumped into the booth again. So Minako could have a place to sit for a whirlwind greeting and explanation before she was off again. This time as Usagi made her escape the same way she had last time, she didn't follow Minako. She had learned her lesson, at least for the week.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Usagi couldn't help the laughter that poured from her mouth or the tumble down the back of the bleachers. The best thing about it though, was that she didn't get hurt. There had been some stretching mats on underneath to help utilize space.

Her laughter was a roaring, infectious thing, but thankfully no one noticed. The three lights were practicing. Somehow Minako had pulled her along with her again, and then the blond had disappeared. Usagi heard something about refreshments, but Usagi wasn't paying attention. For once she was really enjoying watching these three do their jobs.

There's a few things you had to understand about all of this. Usagi had never dated a boy who wasn't in college, hadn't even ever been interested in one. Her first crush had been Motoki and when she'd met him, he was already in college, he was a few years Mamoru's senior and it would be another few years before she met Mamoru. However Motoki was the hottest guy Usagi had ever had the pleasure to meet at her tender age of 10. She spent four years under Motoki's tutelage before she met Mamoru. She was then 14. Mamoru was a college freshmen. To be fair, Mamoru was probably the youngest college freshman she had ever met. He was 16, universal age and 18 in Japan. However even by that time he had started looking far older and more mature than even Motoki who always had a grin on his boyish face, which helped him stay young looking. Perhaps it was the dour look always on Mamoru's face that had aged him unnecessarily fast. Most freshmen in college were universally 18 and 20 in Japan and he looked older than Motoki a few years older than that, having already finished undergrad. Either way, Mamoru now smiled a lot more, and was a college student all in one go. He looked his role.

Second thing you have to understand, that while Usagi preferred college age boys, even they tended to look young and boyish, even Mamoru to an extent. It wasn't like young and boyish in the west. In Asia, a great big number of those looked like underdeveloped girls, in an extent, looking younger than the girls their age. One of her friends had said that they resembled walking chopsticks.

Third thing, the three she were watching were her age, splitting the difference, lets just say they were 17 depending on the brother. Yaten being the youngest and a year younger than Usagi, Seiya being her age, and Taiki being a year older. Though they all were in her grade, and looked about the same age, no matter what they said otherwise. They didn't even _look_ like brothers to her. Then again, if you wanted to debate sibling similarities, she didn't have to look any further than her own family. Her mother had violet hair, for bleeding's sake! Her brother and father were the normal ones in their family.

Fourth, no, still on third... their age, lended them the additional fact that the second one covered, Usagi looked older than them, and was a lot more developed. Was probably able to tak Yaten on physically even, and win the fight, without kicking up to senshi strength, that is.

D, no wait, now it was fourth... All of that covered, it didn't even begin to get into why Usagi was entertained by this particular practice. This lended to it a great deal, but she'd eventually get to what was really the kicker of the the whole thing. Fourth, Yaten was in a simple yellow t-shirt, and black pants that were sitting at his natural waist line, with suspenders. She could buy into that one, even the black wrist bands, fashion, or something. Taiki was a little harder to buy. He was wearing a green shirt with the sleeves cut off, and yellow shoes, but what made her laugh at his ensemble was the pink sweat pants. Seiya though, he was really the worse off. He had on yellow leg warmers, a royal blue mid-drift top. So far she was giggling, but nothing too horrible. Then it got onto to his bottoms, gray spandex over laid with a dark red speedo that left absolutely nothing to the imagination, or so she thought. Minako surprisingly was a better judge on that, and how they could hide things without you knowing it. Something about tucking. But whatever, what she saw, she wasn't impressed, no by all the gossip all her girlfriends had always whispered about. Usagi was really beginning to think Seiya was really a girl-but-not-yet-a-woman. He was also really skinny, they all were. There were these three in all ridiculous outfits, and not even matching, and they had _six _back up dancers.

Still... not all of this was what really set Usagi off. It made her laugh and giggle, but nothing to the extent that had sent her off the bleechers in a fit she could not control. Maybe it would have a few weeks ago, when Mamoru was still here, and she hadn't been so depressed and Seiya's nickname of her would have been squashed _by_ Mamoru, and she might have actually let Seiya be her friend, instead of an annoyance... but that was all circumstances, who knew what life would be like if Mamoru had still been here, it was already too late to find out, Seiya and her had already set up their relationship. Mamoru wouldn't be able to do anything about it. It had to change on its own. If he had changed it, it wouldn't have been a natural change.

But back to the point, she had been depressed and wasn't able to muster up the same enthusiasm as she had been able to do before. It wasn't as bad as the time that he had broken up with her, but nearly so. It kind of felt like he did it again and even those situations were different. She used to follow him around, demanding answers. Or catching him following her... once..., after she nearly killed herself. Then they were back together not long after, finding out about their future and who was really sending the dreams. But that was for a different story.

This was about the present. She couldn't linger in that past, and she promised she wouldn't.

These three boys did a flip and landed in different positions. Their coach shouted out vocals, and they started in on a note. Then she called a halt to it all. Usagi liked her, she was tough and no nonsense and was really grinding them into the floor to get it right. She wouldn't like to be on the receiving end of that, but it was nice to watch from a distance. She respected the coach.

"Stop, stop, stop! Seiya-kun, do it again!"

The reaction Seiya gave, as if he was the most put upon soul in the entire universe started it all. But the fact that he was so arrogant and cocky and self-assured, and then also in that most ridiculous get-up, and everything he'd already put her through, and this coach laying into him like that, started a few rounds of laughter, that was barely controllable, but then Seiya had to talk back.

"Me again? What didn't you like this time?" He sounded like he was whining, that he couldn't have possibly done anything wrong, and if he did, it wasn't his fault, and if there was anything, it had to be so slight that _he _didn't see it.

"_Everything_!" Seiya's annoyance at that comment, the anger that burned slightly in his eyes, not at her, but at the affront that someone dare say he wasn't _perfect_ caused Usagi to rip herself into shreds and fall through the narrow opening of the bleachers. She was quite high and could have hurt herself, luckily she didn't, luckily there were mats, but even if she had broken every bone in her body, she probably still wouldn't have been able to stop laughing.

Seiya didn't know yet that she was hear, but the music was so loud and she was so far away, he couldn't hear her. Eventually she settled down, but it took a lot of time and she had to first have the desire to have the desire to stop, then had to berate herself for laughing at his misfortune. However that just made her pleased again, and she started all over again.

When she could finally get a hold of herself somewhat, she rolled to her feet and clutched over her stomach, manage to make her way outside where she just let it all out until she couldn't breath anymore. Instead of going back in for more entertainment, she decided to go home, before she got in trouble. She had to stop a few times along the way though.

–

Even now in math class she had to hold in a few giggles, but a few slipped through. She then looked at what was laid out in front of her and didn't recognize any of the formulas. It was a step in the right direction that she realized that's what it was that she was looking at. She sent a little desperate prayer towards Mamoru, needing him to help her, but not really trying to bother him too much, or let it actually go through to him. He was probably elbow deep in something at the moment, and didn't need her distractions. Though it would be nice to be thought of that way sometimes, at least once.

Usagi shifted and glanced behind her, it seemed Seiya was having more trouble than she was. He looked absolutely murderous, while she was just lost and confused again. She was hopeless, he looked dangerous. Maybe it had gotten to him more than she realized, maybe it hurt more than just his pride, but his feelings too and not just the arrogant ones. Maybe it had been his dream that was crushed last night, and after her last bought with dreams, she didn't want to harm those, they were too precious. Now she was feeling guilty and sad on top of everything else.

Had she learned what was really going on through his head, she might not have felt _so_ guilty, but still, it was a means to an end and it made him angry because it was part of his duty to be good at it, and he was failing. And _that_ was his dream.

Then suddenly he let out a frustrated scream. His brothers just sat there, smirking at him, knowing what was wrong and taking delight in it. Usagi was never quite that vindictive.

After class Minako and Usagi were giving each other a pep-talk about their failed math exam. How they could retake it, and if that failed, retake the class, but then Ami added that if that failed, they could stay for another year, since it was high school now. Seiya and his brothers came out, complaining about their own things but Usagi and Minako assumed it was what they were. Somehow the other two brothers showed the score of 16 to the group of girls, as Seiya was complaining about the musical. Someone, probably Makoto, said that he hadn't memorized his studies after Minako had a tangent about Musicals and he'd put a squash to her over-exaggeration, but too rudely. So Makoto got him back for it. Oh well, Makoto had been talking about relaxing in high school for an extra year, which was soooo not what the blonds wanted to do. Of course the blonds already knew about it, but they wouldn't miss an opportunity to watch again, especially Usagi, who was sure they'd be wearing the same stupid getup.

Then Rei appeared and with her claim about study sessions and high school entrance exams, which she didn't need to do, and how they were more than welcome to join them. She was really hitting her stride in the seductive zone just then. But perhaps it was a bit too strong for the determined Kou brothers to see through their Idol status, for they bolted, talking about the musical as an excuse. Any other boy and they would have been toast.

"I want to go too." Makoto said as they all took off, without Ami and Rei.

"Makoto-chan." Rei warned as the brunette was sweeped into the same nonsense the blonds were always up to.

"Rei-chan, your fake innocence has failed." Makoto said gently as she too took off.

Ami turned to Rei. "I have some reference books, if you'd like to borrow them." She had already memorized all of its contents.

"Why would I want a study group by myself?" Rei was starting to go crazy as Ami shoved the case into Rei's hands and left, she wanted to watch too. Though Rei was quick on her heels. "Usa-chan, you can't deny, seeing them like this, they look cool, right?"

Usagi shrugged, she'd seen it before, she just hadn't realized it was for a musical and not for one of their concerts. Though from this angle and closeness she could see some male muscles as he moved along his torso and chest. She blushed a little at what Minako whispered about some of the lines.

"Seiya again, everything is wrong!"

Usagi couldn't see it, but then again, she wasn't even remotely cut out for something like a musical, especially one as extreme as all of that. Though as Seiya demanded she say something more than just something so simple as _everything_ and wanted something a little more direct, the woman only told him the basics again. "Singing, dancing and... acting."

"You can't tell me what's wrong, can you?"

"If you can't figure it out on your own, then are you really a pro?"

Usagi wondered if that was the problem, but no, because she wasn't picking on Yaten or Taiki, and they were pros too, and this was an 'amateur' play. She just had it out for Seiya. Even Usagi could admit freely now that the woman was a little too harsh.

"Who was that?" Makoto asked afterwards as they all sat around the steps and the lights got refreshments.

"The director."

"She likes Seiya a lot." Yaten added, looking pleased with himself for deducing it, and the situation that Seiya was now in, gaining mirth for his discomfort. Yaten really was the bad boy, wasn't he?

That got a reaction from Seiya though. He spun towards Yaten pissed off. "Stop joking around! She's just bullying me! She can't do this! She's complaining about the little things, almost regarding me as the enemy!"

It was a little strange that he'd talk about enemies the way he was, most people who talked about enemies used slightly different phrases to couch their thoughts, this was as if it was one of them. It was also almost typical for Usagi to be sitting in front, with Minako at her hip, her twin from a distance, except for the hairstyle, and leader of the senshi. With Ami and Rei behind them only a few steps away, with the weaker one behind Minako, and Rei behind Usagi. Then Makoto was standing on the steps further back, almost like she wasn't part of the group, but also having a leverage, already being up on her feet and able to see over everyone else, a quick and easy leap. Thouh they were in school-girl mode, and not really worry about enemies or attacks, they couldn't help what they did naturally and without recognizing their tactical advantage or natural alignment to an extent.

Usagi though, being Usagi, took it as a personal idea, and was trying to comfort and point out the obvious all at once. "I know." Her eyes locked on Seiya's for a brief moment before shaking her head and lifting a finger, giving her the appearance of authority and thinking at the same time. "There's always _someone_ you can't get along with for _some _reason!"

Rei jumped in to get a dig on Usagi, like she always did. Usagi didn't know why she put up with it, but then again, she did from almost everyone. "You can say that again! Someone like a rash crybaby... and somehow too easy-going. I don't go well with that kind of girl."

Usagi turned slightly annoyed, and Minako was no help next to her, only acknowledging the facts with a slight annoyance as a lot of that could be aimed at her too, but also knowing that Rei was insulting their princess _again_. Really one wouldn't think this was the same girl who had freaked out while their princess was unconscious when they'd first learned about the truth and fretted about how she was going to be beheaded.

Usagi tried playing dumb. "Rei-chan, who are you talking about?"

"Well, you don't want to know!" Rei was trying to act innocent again.

"Rei-chan! I have something I always thought of telling you!"

Yaten was shocked by the display that was going on in front of him. He may look younger, but he still acted older, even if he was a jerk. "Well what a coincidence!" Rei snapped back.

Taiki was laughing in good humor. "Well, after all, they say, 'Having quarrels is, in fact, the sign of good terms'..."

"That's not true!" Both Rei and Usagi shouted, trying to cover up what they'd always known was true, but felt better pretending the opposite... so the other girls wouldn't feel left out... that's was it, uh-huh.

Seiya slammed a fist against the wall now that it wasn't about him anymore and everyone's attention turned his way. Usagi had to stifle the giggle at his appearance. He was doing his best impression of Mamoru's glower, but it didn't work quite the same way. He got the face down a mostly, scowl and all, hunched shoulders, head lower them them and forward, neck missing and a darkness in his face, but his arms were too scrawny and out of place, he just looked awkward, and not scary, even if he was pissed off.

"She just hates me!"

The director popped out and snapped at them that break was over and gave a speech about bringing girls and how Seiya shouldn't be an Idol just for girls. Rei recognized the director as being a sister from her school and the Sister Angela recognized her too. The woman wasn't usually so covered up. They still got kicked out for being a distraction.

–

Apparently the sister's identity was a secret. Seiya dragged Usagi along with him to Rei's school, needing an excuse to be there, and using Usagi as it. Saying that he was with her, who was looking for a friend, who really did go to school there.

Seiya took off before Usagi could stop him to confront the sister in the chapel. A place of worship. Usagi dragged after him, wondering again at Rei being a Shinto Priestess in training and going to an all girl's Catholic school. Honestly, would wonders never cease?

By the time that Usagi collapsed on the steps, Seiya was already inside, having a heart to heart. It didn't sound like it was going that well, there was intermitten shouts, from both of them. Then Usagi heard a taunt. "I'm in a better position than someone who'll get a red mark in the next make-up." She must have been close.

Seiya declared that he didn't like her, which made her laugh, and said it was for the best, perhaps then he might work harder. Usagi had only one option to think, as she hadn't seen Seiya's face as he'd said that, that things were getting worse between them. She hoped not, it would only mean more headaches for her. Seiya, Seiya's director at her school, being a teacher at Rei's, Rei liking Seiya, all of them not liking her... Er, it gave her a stomachache just thinking about it. She hid as the woman came out.

The two of them walked back together, Seiya answering Usagi's questions and going off into his own thoughts, speaking out loud.

Usagi asked about that, but he changed gears so quickly that it made her forget what he'd said. "Odango, do you have a boyfriend?"

It was unexpected yes, but it was also a little personal. "Yes, I do... overseas..."

"Then I have a chance." He left her standing there. "See you tomorrow!"

"There's a test tomorrow!" She called after him, but he didn't seem to care.

"I know!"

_What a strange guy, I'll never understand him..._ Usagi thought to herself, she had half been thinking they'd study together, but really with his poor score, and her poor score, they'd be no help to each other. Though she'd only be a weight on Ami-chan too... Guess it was back to just her, and perhaps Minako.

Then Usagi thought about what she was thinking, _her_ study? _Minako_ study? Ha! She ran after Seiya, but kept her distance. She found him in the dance room, practicing with Akane-san. She sighed a breath of relief and sagged against the wall, she wasn't supposed to be there watching. "There's nothing the matter."

Rei was suddenly behind her. "You shouldn't be worry about anyone else. You don't want to stay in the class again, do you? Go home and study. I will take care of Seiya." Rei had ulterior motives, Usagi was the only one pure of intentions, though even her intentions were colored in ways she didn't yet recognize.

Rei was dragging Usagi away from the room and outside to the back. Usagi was complaining, she wanted to stay and watch for a little while longer. "It's late. By the time you get home, I bet you'll just collapse on your bed."

"So really, there's no point in going home _now._" Usagi insisted.

"I'm hoping if you collapse on your bed now, then you'll get up earlier and study in the morning." Rei sighed in defeat after she realized what she'd said. "Oh all right, but you have to promise to do well on this test."

Usagi squealed with glee, just as they heard a scream. "That sounded like Star Fighter's attack call!" Usagi had heard it often enough, more than the other senshi, and it was usually enough for her to be alone with the three, or her and one of the other senshi and maybe one or two of the three stars... it was still around the numbers she had with her own senshi and Mamoru, but sometimes more sometimes less. They were strong, these strangers, but she was now too. Though probably not strong enough for all of the enemies on her own quite yet.

They entered and found Star Fighter attacking the phage. "Stop! It was human!"

"You'll never understand! This is our way to fight!"

"Don't do it!" Moon called out, unable to stop him as he geared up for another attack.

"Go away! This is the way it has to be! The pain of the suffers!"

Usagi had no idea what he was talking about but the lights flickered and suddenly there was a red glow. When the lights came back on, Mars was holding a flaming arrow in Fighter's direction. "If you make me, I'll be your enemy. We do not kill the humans. Now Sailor Moon."

Usagi healed the phage. Fighter stood there staring at Moon for a long time, sadness deep in his eyes. She didn't know what he was thinking, but she knew that she saved the woman where Fighter wouldn't. Perhaps he was reflecting on that. She wondered why he was so quick to kill, even if he had hesitated for a moment.

They all walked outside together, leaving the woman where she was. Seiya might have ran off or something, the girls didn't know, and couldn't really question after him. Fighter started walking away, he'd have to say something about thinking she'd left or something. They'd stashed her body, which was fine, she only had to wake up, in the lounge, on a couch. "Are we going to see you again?" Moon's question cut into his thoughts.

He turned his head back towards the duo. "I really hope you're not my enemy, Sailor Moon." Then he left.

Out of all the enemies they'd had, this is the first one that Usagi could really understand the weariness to trust the sailors who saved the day. This was the first time that it was sailors that were attacking people and creating more sailors, to be defeated by sailors one way or another. Usagi now was even more annoyed as everyone else up to this point had distrusted the for pitiful reasons, being girls, while they were the only male, except for the enemies. Haruka and Michiru really drove her up the wall with the fact that they _knew_ they were supposed to be on the rest of the girls' side, but were unsure what to think of Moon.

–

The next day as Usagi was still trying to wake up after a night of fighting, watching him dance and studying, she only barely passed along side Minako, while he passed with flying colors at a 98. He was showing it off while posing on two desks, back to being as cocky as ever. Though as he left, he said something about proving himself with the musical, and she had the distinct feeling that he was thinking about something pretty deep.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

AN: I might be bypassing an episode or two throughout this story... really it depends on what goes on in it. I probably should have bypassed the last one, but really, I wanted to show how curious he gets about her relationship, and how he's hoping it will bud even then and I couldn't help but make fun of him and his outfits. It gave a good look into a part of Usagi that even I hadn't realized would be a part of her... haha...

AN2: Can I just say, or reiterate, because I don't know if I did already, but its so strange for me to be writing a Stars fic. So, so very strange. I also have to say now, I accidentally watched a SuperS episode, and man... what a lame arc, and maybe even S... sigh... there's only 1.5 decent arcs before Stars.

* * *

A few weeks passed and there were a few more battles. But what was really interesting was that Taiki and Ami had gotten closer, Taiki even melted and became friends with his friendly rival. Sailor Star Maker melted because of Ami and agreed with her about saving people rather than harming them as the only option. Also Yaten fell in love with Luna, well, not really, but the cat who can change into a humanoid at times got to bathe with him and sleep with him and she was the only female on the planet Earth he gave time of day to. Well, except the one he loved. Maker also liked Luna.

Yaten would allow Usagi to come visit him anytime, because she was the owner of Luna, but Usagi didn't realize how much of an oddity that was, only suspicious of the change in attitude. But Luna did have her way with wily males.

Then surprise of all surprises, she had an unannounced visitor. It was while she was writing to Mamoru, and it was a happy unexpected arrival. However it was more than one person, and no, it wasn't Mamoru. It was Haruka and Michiru.

Usagi was writing Mamoru a letter that was a little tongue in cheek, but very serious at the same time. She wrote it because she was bored, because she had already written the same type of thing many times. There was only so much you could write when it was one sided. She kind of wanted to see if he was even reading her letters. "Mamo-chan, my love, in case you were wondering about my love life, because I'm so beautiful, don't worry! Many guys have been chasing me, but you're the only one on my mind, Mamo-chan. I love you a lot."

Usagi jerked when her letter was read out loud, it was awfully rude of strangers to do so. She was at a library, so she didn't expect any of her friends to come looking for her here, and only Ami frequented at any regularity, and she was allergic to love letters, so she wouldn't have read it out loud.

By the time she turned around, she had already placed the voice, but that didn't stop her from looking a little cross. It was still private, even if their relationship these days seemed anything but. It was the only one of any mention other than the one that was now in front of her.

When they asked about him, she didn't have much to say. The only time she'd talked to him was a short yes before he'd hung up again. "Everything all right, Usagi?" Michiru asked, laying a hand on her princess's shoulder.

"Of course!" Usagi gathered up all of her things. "Let me just check this out and we can go do something! I'm so glad you're back." What could she say, really?

She saw their looks, knew something was up, and probably thought she was keeping secrets, well, she was, in a way.

–

A few days later found her in the green house with Makoto. Her friends really got around, and by default, so did she. They were so talented in so many areas. Though this made sense. Makoto was an expert chef and to be the best, you needed to know your way around fresh ingredients, and Makoto liked plants too, so it went hand in hand.

Makoto caught sight of movement and her stance firmed and stepped in front of Usagi. "Everyone in the garden club is supposed to be out today." They made their way quietly towards the one who was with them, unsure if it was an enemy or not.

They ended up in the rosebush section. There between the red and the white roses stood an all too familiar back. He was looking at a white rose, his posture tense. They would never know for sure what he was thinking, but if they were to ever think of these things logically... well logic would then dictate the knowledge of who the three lights were, and as past enemies often stated, the senshi of the Earth were too innocent and did not know the true horrors out there, before showering the senshi with those same horrors. Or the ones who eventually be allies, said something similar, or thought the senshi of Earth were the enemies.

No, they were still unaware of the ease in which they could learn the truth.

Usagi tripped on a... er, rod? Something in the garden that they used that was blocking the path, it sent Makoto flying once Usagi bumped into her. Taiki was now alerted to their presence when Makoto skidded to a halt in front of him. "I thought I finally found a peaceful place for myself." He sounded only slightly less than charming, allowing a bit of the put-out to show, but he was an Idol, and he liked Makoto well enough.

"Sorry about that." Makoto said a little bashfully, rubbing off the dirt.

"That's ok, not a problem."

Usagi came around. "Mako-chan! Are you ok?" Really, to be knocked down by Usagi was a fairly common occurrence. However Makoto had taken a lot worse punishment, had to, if she was going to fight the enemies they'd seen. Even in this form, she'd survived a lot worse than a skid along the dirt. Usagi still had to ask, not only because not everyone wasn't a senshi and it did best to remember that, but also because she cared about her friend's wellbeing. "Oh! Taiki-san!" She hadn't meant for any of this to happen.

"Another smiling face? I guess I'll leave this area to you."

"You're bleeding!" The outcry was from Usagi, but it was directed towards the person she hadn't knocked over.

"You cut it on the rose's thorns." Makoto said.

"Oh this? It's nothing." Taiki waved off, looking at the damage he'd done himself.

"You'll need something for it." Makoto was coming closer, but Usagi was already digging in her pocket and reached Taiki before she did.

"Don't worry, there you go!" She wrapped his hand up.

"Oh, for your kindness I will give you a present!" He turned to a rose and knelt down, speaking to it, which didn't seem all that surprising to either girl, as Makoto did it, and Usagi had seen Mamoru and Makoto do it a few times too. He spoke in English though, long complex sentences and Usagi and Makoto stared in amazement. He stood up and turned to them again. "It's Blake."

"_Break_? Oooh! _Coffee break!_ Would you like to join us for snacks?" She spoke those words in English, but it was an easy mistake to make if one did not know a lot of English, or even very well, at least she had some words she recognized. In Japan the rs and the ls got interchanged as they were the same in Japanese, if one existed or not. "Makoto-chan makes the best strawberry shortcake!"

When Taiki only stared at her like she had lost her head and her mouth was still speaking but floating above her body, she realized her mistake. "Did I say something strange?"

Makoto leaned forward and whispered in Usagi's ear. "Blake is the name of a famous poet."

Usagi didn't know what a poet was either and decided it had to do with food, as that's what he was talking about originally, or so she thought. Her mind was still on the strawberries that they had just left and Makoto's reasoning for why she couldn't eat all of them.

Usagi wasn't dumb, she just didn't care about what she didn't care about. She wasn't the only one in the world. She could name you all the different food groups and fashions and she used to be able to give you the names of all the celebrities and where they stood and how much longer they had not-with-standing the arrival of an amazing newcomer. Other people would merely tune her out, they often did, or have no idea what she was talking about, lost. That was how she was with certain subjects too.

Taiki started laughing at Usagi and apologized for having to miss on Usagi's gracious invite. Then recognition set in on where else he'd seen Makoto. "Hey, you're in the cooking club aren't you?"

"Yeah..." Makoto felt bad for Usagi at the same time as embarrassed by her antics and wasn't sure where Taiki was going with this.

"Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"

"Ooh! You can ask me too!" Usagi was suddenly in his space and he put a hand up to stop her. He had a feeling what her cooking skills would be like with her lack of patience and scatter-bug movements.

"No, not you. To be honest, I have a cooking TV program coming up, and I need a few pointers and I need to bring some friends with."

"Makoto-chan on TV, that'll be great!"

Somehow Usagi managed to work her way in to visiting the studio, and Taiki wasn't all that pleased. When Taiki left, Makoto turned to Usagi. "But those strawberries we promised for Rei-chan's house."

"Makoto, you're not looking at the big picture!"

"What's that?" Makoto wasn't sure if she'd like the answer, and she was right.

"I get to be your cooking assistant!"

"That means you don't get to eat the strawberries today, if at all." Makoto pointed out and Usagi melted in defeat. She sniffed away a tear before perking up again. "I'll find a way to eat them then. Besides, I get to help you and Taiki!" And get a look around the studio. For some reason a lot of the victims have been near the three lights, but she wouldn't start pointing fingers yet, a lot of the victims in the past had even been Usagi's friends. She was always in the middle of danger, just like they seemed to be. So they probably weren't the enemy, she'd seen the enemy and the glamor wasn't that good. She didn't finish connecting that though, on what other similarity they might have in common.

Usagi was really bright, the other senshi hadn't put it together yet, but she had been there for _every_ attack, they hadn't. She was also trusting and didn't think too much into issues that weren't yet hers.

Usagi missed out on the fit that not only Minako had when they found out what they were going to make with fresh strawberries, Rei, who was just as equally bad. Then they found out who would be on the show, only after how jealous they already were about Makoto.

Usagi was only trying to help, really she was. Taiki had asked Makoto for the eggs and Usagi could see them, so she went to help out her nervous friend, but Makoto knocked them over and Usagi barely caught them without the breaking. Then she was on TV, doing what she did best, taking over.

She still listened to what her friend had to say and asked for help, but it really was a disaster. Especially as Makoto asked her to put it in the oven and then went to find the next step, finding instead the real flour. The chef wasn't too pleased, but he was able to quickly cover up the mess that was made and make appropriate steps to getting the show back in order.

"It was baking soda you put in there." Makoto rebuffed quietly.

"Oh, no wonder."

Taiki was checking out his appearance when he caught Usagi in his reflection and he started laughing again. Usagi was a bit offended. But he seemed happy that he was laughing where before he had looked kind of sad. She caught movement and saw his two brothers supporting his appearance on TV. Sometimes they had to split up because only one was needed, and sometimes to make several appearances at once. They didn't say anything though, just looking at the scene thoughtfully.

Seiya really was a lot more mature than she gave him credit for, she grudgingly admitted. She stuck around until the show was finished filming. Then she and Makoto walked out, Usagi was complaining about the mess she'd made and Makoto was trying to cheer her up. "It's ok, the chef managed to make do. I guess everyone was just shocked when you popped up so suddenly."

"That's right, to pop into a live show like that... there wasn't much we could do. You have guts girl."

"Oh! Yoshinnogawa-san! When did you come out here?"

"I enjoyed it, its not every day that people go nuts over the unexpected around here, and boy was it unexpected. Please come see me again! Goodbye."

"Does that mean I get to come be on TV again!" Usagi jumped to the obvious conclusion to something like that being said.

"NO! No! I don't think that's what he meant at all Usa-chan!" There were two reason why Makoto wanted to put a damper on this thought, A because then they would know who she was the next time she was on TV and that would not bode well for the future, and B, they would know who she was and maybe who her friends were.

Another celebrity, another youma, and this one was kind of pathetic after all. Though he youma was kind of clever too. Too bad that not all of them were famous, then it would have made sense. Though on different scales they were. Usagi bought into the innocent act the youma gave her and got too close, she was after all, still too trusting. She gave everyone an equal chance, no two enemies were the same. He tried to chop her into threes and Sailor Maker was there to protect her.

It was really a wonder no one figured out who _she _was. Though she had gained another friend, somewhat at least, in two people.

Later that day, as she sat without an allowance and the other girls shoved it in her face about giving up all the strawberries just because she wanted to be on TV, she bemoaned her decision. She'd gotten herself into another battle, and they were eating her sugar!

Makoto pulled Usagi back from making a rash outburst. "Don't worry, she's feeling bad about it now. Don't be too hard on her."

"Hey... Usa-chan, why didn't you tell us that you saw Michiru and Haruka this week? Usually if they're back-"

"Well we've already got an enemy, don't we?" And like how the week started, it ended again with the same note, as every week, the strange occurrence in the beginning. How was Usagi to know that they were off _punning_ about waves and endlessness... erg... she really had some lame friends some days.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

You'd think they were obsessed. How many times the five of them stood at those five telephones, pounding in the same number and growing with frustration each time they heard a busy signal.

They each reacted in a similar way, but also slightly different in their actions and words. Minako broke the mounting tension with a scream, but it wasn't like the screams that were coming from the others. This one was in joy. The others dropped what they were doing and crowded around Minako, glomping on, wanting to know what happened.

Elsewhere, a number changed to 51. Had they all really wasted enough money to call the same number 10 times each, before on the 11th try, Minako finally got what they were angling towards? Had they known that it only took 51 tries, and to hear the same message as they would have, had they never called, or called too late...

"I'm sorry, all the tickets to the Fantastic International Music Festival are sold out." Minako about fainted over into a heap, had Makoto's arm not been there behind her back.

Ami spoke before the others. "Sold out? I can't believe it! A chance to see the Three Lights in concert and we're going to miss it."

The others sighed in defeat and sadness, but Usagi's ears picked. "Wah! That's why you guys wanted to go? To go see the Three Lights?" She huffed and crossed her arms. "Why? You see them all the time. That big old lame-o Kou Seiya isn't that great."

"You're just jealous." Rei pulled a face at Usagi. Usagi rolled her eyes, she hadn't shared what the lights had told her about their own beliefs on her skill. So why would she be jealous? Besides, they were completely different, male singers, verses female. She just didn't see what the big deal about the Kou brothers were. Maybe she would have, if it had all happened at some other point in time. Usagi began to wonder too if Minako had won the tickets after all, who she would have given the second and only other ticket to? Surely all five couldn't get in on that. Then also, she probably would have declined going had she known the true intent.

Nobody noticed that Minako had remained still and quiet for far longer than she normally did. It was only in a build up to a great freak out she was about to let unleashed. She started screaming No! No! No! Over and over and over again. It seemed like it would never end.

"Stop being such a baby." Rei snapped.

They were unaware of the growing audience, or who was in it. That's why when someone spoke to them, they suddenly realized how immature they were being, especially compared to who it was. "Hello, how are you?"

"Michiru! Haruka!" The girls scrambled to look more presentable.

"Could these be the tickets you were looking for?" Michiru fanned out five of them. There had to only be one reason for them standing at payphones, or now one, at least. Surely that was the only reason they could be there. It was met with blank stares at least, nobody knew how she quite knew that.

"Come on, lets go talk about these over a coffee?" Haruka suggested. She dropped an arm around Usagi's shoulders, and with her other one around Michiru's waist, they started to head towards a coffee shop. The others gladly followed.

Once seated, the tickets were handed out and all of them finally got a good look at them. "How did you get these? Are you sure we can have them?" The questions flew at the two arrivals. "Now we can see the Three Lights play live!" Rei and Minako were actually gushing.

Usagi sidled up next to Michiru, looking disbelieving at her. She raised her hand and blocked her mouth from sight. "You're secretly a fan aren't you? Got some backstage connects?"

"You don't need to look quite so disgusted, Usa-chan." Makoto grouched.

"Oh my!" Michiru started laughing in embarrassment.

"No wonder. You don't know what's going on." Haruka's announcement was in disbelief. "You really don't follow your subjects progress, do you?"

Michiru opened a magazine and slid it over to the two blonds. There it was, the Three Lights and Michiru with her eyes closed, enthralled by her violin and blocking out the rest of the world. She looked gorgeous as always in a strapless dark blue dress. "What's a joint concert?" Usagi asked Minako. Minako's reaction could have been annoyance at Usagi for not knowing something Minako was so intimate with, or it could have been a cover for not knowing herself.

"What were you so impressed at then?" Rei asked, embarrassed by her friend. Ami as always was there to supply an answer.

"So they're going to play together, live? Like hot and cold?" Usagi asked, when every word she said was met with agreement, she turned to Michiru with large eyes. "That's so cool!"

Michiru greeted with five stares, couldn't help but giggle. She was after all unused to their pride. The princess, sure, even a bit of envy from the others, sure, but this was more than that. They revered her suddenly, and for getting a concert with the Idols? Michiru wondered if she could be one too.

Nah, she got enough press as it was, and being picky was actually what made her longer lasting. She'd do this concert, for them, and to check out what she was suspicious of. Her fingers itched to get hold of her mirror, not to check the future, just to check her hair, and look into its beautiful surface.

She was a little jealous though that these four girls had been obsessed with getting tickets to the Three Lights concert, but couldn't even be bothered to see who was also going to be there. Michiru hadn't really heard too much of them, as it wasn't really her style of music, but she felt a little offended that these strangers were being praised over her, a friend. The only good thing was that it seemed Usagi was indifferent to the hype that the Three Lights were getting by the nearby buzzing girls.

"You don't like them?" Michiru asked gently, trying to figure this all out.

Usagi looked surprised. "No, their music is pretty fun, and some of them are pretty decent guys, I don't know... I guess I just missed the falling for them phase." She shrugged. "I hadn't heard of them until they were full blown and in my face everywhere I went. Perhaps I can learn to like them in the future. You know, exposure and growing used to it, and all that."

"Why do I feel like you're talking about more than just the music?" Haruka asked, looking over Michiru's shoulder, the other four were off chatting without noticing that they had lost the attention of the others.

"I guess its because they now go to my school and I didn't have the best run in with one of them right away."

"He do something?" Haruka asked sharply, and Michiru was watching her closely too.

"No, he just angered me by calling me a name I didn't like. Our rocky start wasn't the best way to meet. Though they've been real friendly since, even inviting me to their studio at times and along with them to other places."

"Then why haven't you forgiven him yet like you usually do?"

"He still calls me the name. Though it doesn't bother me as much anymore. I've forgiven and I actually like them. I don't know why I'm not as crazy as they are about them, by all rights I should be."

"They came on the scene just about the same time Mamoru left." Michiru commented delicately. "They ramped up really quickly the last few weeks before, and peaked to where they are now just afterward. They're still not at the height they could possibly get to."

"Maybe that's why I missed the build-up and wasn't too impressed when I was in such a bad mood when everyone was going on about them. Though I do with them well, they are very talented." Usagi's gaze seemed to turn inward for a moment as she thought about all the things they brought up. Then she smiled, instantly brightening, though the two of them were worried about her sudden silence. "I would like to go to support them, and you, Michiru. I think it will be a very nice concert. I wanted to go originally because the girls were talking about how the radio station was giving away free tickets to the event of the season and we just had to win them. So, if I don't see you before the concert, I just want to wish you good luck!"

"Neko...?" Haruka drawled hesitantly. "I don't think that was quite the right sentiment."

"Break a leg?" Usagi tried again and the other girls groaned, finally tuning back in.

–

Usagi was late to the concert. She tried to be early, she really did, but Tokyo was a big, big, big city. She'd never been to the area that the concert was in before. It was all the way over in Chiba Kita. She ended up in the neighboring, er, neighborhood.

By the time she got to the concert, everyone, even her friends were gone. Haruka was just coming back from seeing them off when she saw Usagi looking out over the auditorium and her shoulders were slowly drooping. Haruka had an irrational fear for only a moment that Usagi was going to droop so low, that she'd overcome the banister and topple down below.

Haruka snagged a hand around Usagi's wrist and pulled her back, half scaring the girl. "Haruka? Is it really over?" She started getting teary eyed and Haruka was lost to the girl's look. Even if she hadn't been her princess, Haruka would have been a sucker for Usagi every time. She was almost the complete opposite of Michiru and yet Haruka was still caught.

"Come on, let's go talk to Michiru. I'm sure she'd like to see you."

Usagi's tears dried up and she practically bounced as she pulled Haruka down the way towards Michiru, not listening as Haruka repeatedly told her it was the _wrong_ way.

Seiya meanwhile was thinking about the concert again. He had felt Michiru's power in her performance, and the two songs had blended well on the outside, but the subtle message was distorted and ruined due to the two of them. Yes, Michiru's music was done in love, and the woman did love, but the message wasn't the same. The message was warring and though Michiru's wasn't that strong, she wasn't trying to reach a specific person, it was still stronger than anyone that they had done a joint concert with in the past.

Seiya knew exactly what that meant, that Michiru was a holder of a star seed. The time he felt the star seed the strongest was when he heard it through the music. He was the lucky one, because he was the most sensitive of his brothers and the leader. He didn't mention it to the others, they didn't need another carrier to be attacked if they could help it.

Not all the ones on their planet had been senshi, only a handful. If a person had a star seed, they could become a sailor, but not all were necessary. When the war broke out, they had gone to great lengths to try an awaken all the soldiers, but they had failed in their mission. In fact, since the soldiers were barely trained it made them easier targets.

The senshi here weren't the strongest or the highest trained senshi he had ever seen, but he figured Galaxia and her minions were holding off on attacking the senshi until they had exhausted all their other ideas, if they were fully controlled by Galaxia in the first place and might want to slow her down as much as possible. If they finally turned to the senshi, it might mean that they've realized the only star seed carriers here, were the senshi, but with a planet as large as it was, Seiya believed there could be some who didn't know they were senshi. The senshi the planet already had were at least decent.

Seiya had caught Michiru's eye during the performance and the music grew louder, almost as if it were wrapping around the crowd. Seiya was curious about the astute look in her eyes as she regarded him, almost as if she was trying to figure him out too.

Seiya grinned in his reflection as he made sure his appearance was all right. She'd be in for a shock. He ran a hand through his bangs, disheveling it a little and then he was off. He knocked on Michiru's door and heard her allow him enterance, the door was unlocked, which could have been a very foolish thing for the girl to do had she been any more well known or maybe she was so assured she could take anything that might come at her.

She didn't look very surprised to see him, though her words belayed that assessment a little.

Seiya was working his angle, trying to see if she was all right, as well as worm his way in a little more. He wanted to congratulate her at any rate on a job well done, and his words to her were only a little flirty and a little true, which is probably why she responded so well to him.

–

Michiru just finished putting her make-up remover away, she knew Haruka would be by at any moment and she wanted to be ready to welcome her into her dressing room and not spend too much time here before they could go home.

She was also thinking about a way to get into the Lights' room, she wanted to learn more about these guys as they seemed to be sending out messages with each concert. She wasn't sure if there was a connection yet to the strange things going on. She wanted to make sure they weren't the enemy. They were surprisingly around for a lot of the attacks but never part of it. They could just be the smartest enemy yet, sending their minions to send their minions and take care of the senshi while they sat back and watched from the sidelines, but not in a mysterious dark cavern, needing to be told what they missed, and missing part of the other things that could be happening at the same time.

When the knock came at the door, she smiled mischievously, it could be Haruka, and she knew Haruka would be pleased with the task she could do for Michiru. Though Michiru thought about it for a quick second before she responded, it was still way too early for Haruka to be back. "Come in. Oh, it's you." The unofficial leader of the Lights, Michiru decided and was pleased it was him that came by.

Michiru had always been jealous of Haruka's extra-special fondness of their princess, it was more than just the girl's looks or personality or role in their life, it was an attraction that she'd have on Haruka no matter what role she played. Michiru was well aware of the attraction and sometimes it made her jealous, but usually she was too smitten with Usagi to care too. However she knew Haruka would never ever act on that impulse. First of all, she would never do so as she was too upstanding, second, she could never do that to Michiru, third, she wouldn't want to ruin her relationship with Michiru and a whole lot of other reasons that started circling around Usagi herself, chiefly that she liked Usagi too much and knew that it would never be returned and it would be inappropriate.

Which is why, when Seiya started talking to her, a man, that she had a little difficulty believing the sudden flare of attraction that flared up in her. It couldn't be because he was charming and famous and handsome. Mamoru was those things, minus the famous, and a hell of a lot more powerful with a different kind of magnetism, and Michiru had never once been tempted or even distracted, just aware of its existence on the rest of the female, and male alike population.

Seiya was charming, he started off with complimenting her and then continued stroking her ego. "I'm actually a great fan of yours." He was saying.

Michiru couldn't help the giggle and small blush as she tried to look away. Though her eyes peaked back coyly. "You don't look like a classic listener." Though she couldn't tell if he really meant it, but he appeared as if he wanted her to believe it, so she took it graciously. "Thanks, though, let's keep it a secret from your fans. I don't want to know what they'd do to me if it got out." She had four in mind that would be especially vicious.

Seiya was close, very close and he was listening to her with intensity, as if every word was important. He laughed at her assessment. "You're mysterious!" The look he was giving her was telling her that he kind of liked that.

"What about you?" It was the perfect response, so he could take it a few ways. Though she was wondering if he was mysterious too, or just appeared that way.

"I want to get to know you better." The words themselves might not have had a lot of meaning beyond what they meant, but the fact that he was right over her shoulder, his face inches from hers, but looking into the mirror with her, added a whole second dimension to it, a deeper one.

Seiya wasn't interested in Michiru for anything other than what he said, but he could use his charming personality to get the information he wanted from her. Michiru was too turned on by his proximity, she had to move or she might do something she'd regret. It bothered her, not that she was attracted to someone other than Haruka, but that it was a man. Something that even as a little girl she hadn't taken two seconds to think about, which had been her highest indicator of what the rest of her life would be.

She forced herself to her feet gracefully, and came up with something she didn't realize she could use. As far as she knew, he was attracted to her as well, hence being in her dressing room. She could use this opportunity to distract him enough to question him. She didn't know that even while he was doing his duty now and being mostly into it, a small part of his brain was still thinking about the little blond girl in his year.

Her back was to him, and she slowly lifted her shoulder-length aquamarine hair off her neck and shoulders. "Then do you want to help me change?" It was a very forward question by itself, but the look she gave him, with her hair falling in the way it was, left absolutely no doubt in Seiya's mind about what she wanted.

They were both a little surprised at her brazen nature, and she was seductive almost reflexively, every move she made could be construed as either sensual or classy. She knew she wouldn't go far, but only far enough to make him lose his head and answer her honestly. She saw him hesitate, looking at her in surprise and was that refusal that she saw in his eyes?

That wasn't exactly his intention coming down here, he was used to women throwing themselves at him, but he always refused. She wasn't so much as throwing herself at him as letting him know he could have, if he wanted to. He wouldn't go far, only enough to make her lose her head and answer him honestly. He knew she was waiting for an answer, and that his face was probably surprised. So he shrugged and was going to reach out a hand to help her out of her dress, he almost touched the zipper when the door opened as someone on the other end started talking to her.

"Michiru, I'm coming in." All three froze and looked at each other. Haruka taking in the situation much too shrewdly and favoring Michiru's position, and instantly disliking the tall dark haired man. Michiru knowing she'd been caught red-handed flirting with a man and would have been just slightly more.

Seiya wondering what the hell this was all about and who was rude enough to barge in like that, and saw that it was a male and put things together quickly. He was going to be in for a fight, wasn't he? He knew how this situation looked to any outsider. It was something he wanted to rectify almost immediately. This blond boy looked pretty tough. Though he had faintly feminine features, though the same had been said about him.

Two seconds had barely passed when another voice interrupted the tense atmosphere. "Michiru-san!" The girl who owned the voice appeared. "Oh? Seiya! You two have to share a room today?" She was looking surprised to see the two together and wanted to give herself a reasonable, _innocent, _explanation.

"Odango?" He was surprised too, and the man the girl was with had a firm look set about his lips waiting for an excuse to jump into a flying punch. Seiya purposely misconstrued the situation and acted like he was surprised that Usagi was stepping out on _him_. "Well, well, you're with a good looking guy!" Perhaps it really was the girl's boyfriend, she had talked about him after a bit of prodding and this one was certainly good looking. Seiya had never seen him around before.

"Don't be rude! Haruka is-" Seiya prayed and prayed that she didn't say boyfriend, _don't say boyfriend!_

But Usagi never got a chance to affirm or deny Seiya's fears as Michiru cut in, leaving Seiya to wonder exactly what Usagi was going to say to warrant a rescue out of it. It wouldn't have been her boyfriend, but why would Michiru interrupt if she was going to say Michiru's boyfriend?

"My partner."

The word jarred with Seiya and he suddenly understood. "Oh?" He looked at Michiru and they shared a mostly innocent look, though there was more beneath it, and the words he said added to it. "You're bad-natured, Michiru." He was still flirting with her but she was still doing that with her eyes too. Seiya knew that Michiru was playing him just as much as he was playing her. Though hers was a little worse, for it went not only against her inborn nature, but also that she was committed to. He didn't have Usagi's agreement yet, so he wasn't cheating on her, even if it was flirting.

Seiya was too lighthearted to even realize someone could hold a grudge for an innocent misunderstanding for longer than a moment, and to him it was practically over. So he turned to the only one he didn't know. "Kou Seiya, nice to meet you." He held out his hand like a western.

"Tenno Haruka. Nice to meet you." Seiya knew from the steady look in Haruka's eye that this was going to be a matter of wills and a clear warning to stay away. The handshake and pressure in it was crushing, but Seiya was well aware that it was coming and so responded in kind. It was strange to think that their hands were almost the same size, Seiya's being the slightly larger one due to his long fingers that helped him play guitar.

"Nice greeting, huh?

"_Go away._"

Seiya walked casually away and went around Usagi who was hugging the door frame as she watched the interactions, she knew from experience not to step foot inside when Haruka was doing her warning act. Seiya was far too lighthearted as he saluted Michiru and Haruka. "Well Michiru-san, have a nice evening, it was a pleasure to talk to you." He paused just before he left, just behind Usagi so she had to turn to look up at him as he spoke to her. "Visit us before you go, Odango. See you!"

"Don't let him into your dressing room, ok?" Haruka was clearly not amused but Michiru blushed prettily and didn't seem to take the advice to heart. In fact, she seemed pleased, almost as if she liked that and had purposely orchestrated it.

"Oh?" She looked up through her lashes. "Are you jealous?"

Before Haruka could say anything to that, Usagi was speaking. "Haruka-san, please accept my apology on his behalf. He can be rude sometimes, but he's really a nice guy. Please forgive him."

Haruka looked at Usagi in confusion, mostly how Usagi could say something like that, or even know it for herself, but remembered as Michiru responded to Usagi for her, that Usagi mentioned that she knew the brothers. "Haruka's suspicious of strangers. By the way, its ok to go visit him, right? I won't be offended if you'd rather talk to them."

"Hai!" Usagi ignored the slightly concerned look in Haruka's gaze as she responded to Michiru. "I'm going then, see you later!" She turned on her toe and ran off. "Seiya! Wait up!"

"Michiru- are you sure it's a good idea for her to be chasing after him?"

"They seem like friends." Michiru responded. "Usagi's the last person I would ever suspect of cheating."

"Michi- I was-" She was interrupted with a finger across her lips, Michiru knew and understood, that was not something they needed to waste their time with.

"Now, I really do need help." Michiru lifted her hair and looked back at Haruka with a look similar to the one she gave Seiya, but this one more potent.

–

Seiya was already down the hall by the time Usagi caught up to him. He was thinking about Haruka, and their handshake, it had set off the same feeling of a star seed. Though usually star seeds were female, and for two of them to be _together_ like that?

Now though his attention was caught by the little blond and she was whining at him for being so rude to her friend. "Finished talking with your guy?"

"Oh!" She sounded so frustrated. "Listen up, Haruka-san's a woman!"

Seiya already knew that, but wanted to mess around with Usagi a bit. "You're just making exucses. It's not proper for a girl to be alone with a man like that."

"What about you? If we hadn't shown up, what would you have done?" She skipped over the fact that she was alone with him right now. Between the look and the words that Usagi gave him and the fact that things might not have been so innocent a few seconds later, caused Seiya to react.

He blushed and pulled away, trying to hide that anything _could_ happen. He especially didn't want to be talking about that with Usagi of all people, not if he wanted her to look at him with anything romantic. "N-nothing!" He couldn't believe he stammered too.

"Though I couldn't really believe anything would happen. She could never be serious about you, you're just a kid."

"I can't believe how cold you can be. And for starters, how do you even know them? They're too old to be regular friends."

"Not that much older. Only like four or five years." She didn't add that her boyfriend was just about around that age too. "But do you really want to know?" She looked back at him as if it was a great big terrible story.

"I'm not so sure..." Seiya gave her a look over. "You're getting even more mysterious the longer I know you, usually its the other way around."

Usagi was walking backwards now, and anyone that had known her for even as long as Seiya, would have scolded at her for doing something so dangerous. As it was, Seiya just enjoyed the view, he would have enjoyed any of them. "The truth is, is that they're important." Seiya knew that, knew Michiru wasn't only a famous violin player, but also a talented painter as well. Now that he had time to digest Haruka's name, he realized that she was a famous formula one race car driver, not only the youngest to do so well, but also female, a fact most people never paid much attention to, just skimming over it and then being surprised when it was thrown in their face again. "Important to me." Usagi clarified. Though she had no more to say as suddenly her heel slipped off solid ground and she groped the air for something to hang onto, but found nothing.

By the time Seiya realized what was happening, he was too far away and too late. She already slipped off the step and flailed and ended up head first landing on something behind her. He shot forward, incredibly worried and asking her if she was ok. Turns out, she landed on the conductor and after a second, they both sank to the landing just below the step the old man was standing on. "Honestly, Odango." He said and it came out a little more miffed than he was intending, she'd just scared him so much with that stunt, and it hadn't been intentional either.

"I'm so sorry." Usagi told the man.

"It's ok, are you sure you're all right, Mademoiselle?"

"Odango?" Seiya asked unsure, and then he saw the man. "Mr. Garayan! Are you ok?" Seiya helped him stand up, but not Usagi.

"Do you know him?" Usagi asked Seiya.

"You really don't know Garayan?"

"Garage... band?" She looked at him confused. "Seiya, what are you playing at?"

Seiya sighed. "How rude."

"Your lady friend is very funny, is it your girlfriend?" The man was French and he spoke almost flawless Japanese.

"Yeah, that's the kind of thing it is."

Usagi's eyes widened as she looked between them and held up her hands. "No it isn't. Seiya and I are just friends." She whispered out of the side of her mouth at Seiya. "You have to stop telling people that."

He pretended he didn't hear her and talked more to Garayan. "Today's show was excellent. I felt a mysterious wave in your songs. strong passion and I can feel a gentle love. It is somewhat sad, right. It's a message to your love. I'm sorry, I am speaking somewhat nonsense." He touched the back of his head and groaned in pain.

"Are you all right?" Seiya and Usagi darted forward together.

"I'm all right, just a bit of a bump."

"We should take you to your room to lie down." Seiya insisted.

"It's ok, I'll go to my room after a bit of fresh air. See the two of you later. Oh and Usagi, you are one lucky girl. I hope your songs, Seiya, reach your love as soon as possible."

Seiya blushed slightly and nodded his thanks, he was appreciative of the hope. Garayan was down the hall when Usagi turned to him. "He's such a great old man, that garage band." The name to her had sounded English and those were the only two words that she knew that sounded anywhere near what they had said. It didn't mean much to her beyond that.

"Garayan!" Seiya snapped, glaring at her idiotic name formation.

"That's Garayan!" Usagi said, sounding like she'd corrected Seiya. "He's the conductor of the New Tokyo orchestra. He came all the way over from France 20 years ago and hasn't left since. You would have seen him at the end of the stage... You weren't here, were you?" He caught her guilty look. "What happened?"

"Er, there's a reason for that!" Usagi was going to start to explain it to him, but she ran her hand through her hair and encoiuntered something unexpected. "Ew..." She pulled her hair forward and started to freak out thinking it was a rat as she looked at a dark brown patch of hair on her blond locks.

"Calm down Odango." Seiya took it off of her. "It's just Garayan's toupee."

"Oh." She thought for a moment. "How did I- _oh_." She snatched it from him and laughed lightly. "I'll just go make sure he's ok." Then she ran off without giving Seiya much warning, and he watched her go amused and hoped she didn't get lost in the meantime. Seiya was just pleased that his message proved to reach someone.

Usagi headed down to see Garayan but he ended up being in trouble with the enemy. The battle passed with the same vein as it usually did. Usagi forgot to call the other senshi, and ended up getting in trouble with an enemy that wasn't that unique or creative or anything at all. The sailor stars appeared and claimed they were the famous shooting stars. They distracted the enemy enough for Usagi as moon to be freed by the annoyed Maker and Healer. Then Moon used her wand on the enemy and it returned to the famous conductor. The only major difference this enemy had created was that Uranus and Neptune showed up to block Moon from being friends with the lights and they were so close to being friends before the final show down, or close to it.

"What did you do that for?" Moon demanded when the others left, angry at the outer senshi's behavior.

All her hard work to get them to trust her was demolished because of them."Our duty is to protect you from intruders from outside the solar system. They['re not one of us, and we don't know their intentions, and even if we did, we still wouldn't be able to. Now go change and we'll take you home."

Moon struck a defiant pose and shook her head. "No, you two go on, I'll find my own way back."

"Moon-"

"No, leave. I am angry with the two of you right now, and I don't think I'd be very good company." They were lucky she didn't punish them more than that. And not talking to them, not allowing them the chance to help her, _was _punishment. They didn't like it when she was mad at them. Yet they couldn't leave her here, it was their duty to protect her, even if this time it wasn't from something outside the solar system. When they hesitated, her eyes flashed. "Leave." The word was a hiss. They bowed their head and left.

It was a little while later as Seiya and his brothers were finally able to leave. The other two were at the truck finishing packing up and Seiya did one last walk around, he hadn't seen Usagi to say goodbye and he wanted to make sure she was all right. He found her near the stage, looking up into the sky, there were a lot of stars out this night.

Usagi heard her name, well, a form of it anyway. "Odango?" She turned her head and looked to Seiya as he made his way over to her.

"Hey Seiya."

"You're still here? It's late. I'll take you home." He hesitated. "What are you doing here so late anyway?"

"I was just thinking, about whether or not it was possible to make friends from..." She seemed to catch herself from saying something wrong. "From a far off place?"

She always seemed to hit exactly what he was thinking about as well. "Um.." He was at a loss for words for a moment. "I think so. For example, I'm a transfer student from a far-away city that you've never seen. I think I'm your friend."

"I never thought of it that way, you're right!"

She clomped onto his arm. "What' up?"

"Let's go home!" She didn't want to think too deeply on what he'd said or what it could mean, she just wanted exactly what he gave her, confirmation on what she already believed.

"What a strange girl." He laughed and nudged her along.

That night Usagi sighed contented as she laid in her bed, thinking about Seiya and the star lights. She didn't realize it, but she didn't think of Mamoru once since Haruka and Michiru had brought them up earlier in the week.

If she had, she might have wondered what it all meant...

–

EAN: A note about this chapter, there are a lot of things I've added and a few that were already there in the story that was strongly hinted at, if not out right stated. This isn't the first chapter I've done so with. If I was following strictly cannon, then Michiru's feelings in this chapter towards Seiya could have been easily brushed aside and, understood, more importantly. If its too strong of a suggestion in this chapter for anyone, I'm sorry, but I'm just stating things as they are, and not hiding facets of not only real life as they are now, but also what was definitely in almost all of the canons.

EAN: Also, Haruka is rather possessive of Michiru, but the funny bit is their relationship seems a bit open, like they could step out if they really wanted to without the other being mad at _them_. On the other hand, with all the 'relationship' pairings you could do with either Mamoru or Usagi, those two seem more like the open-relationship couple but no one who wants to win should dare try to interfere in their relationship, they destroy worlds to be together.


End file.
